An Easy Guide to Frog Pose, or Bhekasana
Frog Pose, or Bhekasana, invites us to breathe, by expanding the lungs. In this pose, you should feel relaxed and calm, with a reduced heart rate and less symptoms of anxiety and stress.
Frog pose is very challenging but is great for flat feet/fallen arches. If you're struggling, do it one leg at a time or try popping a bolster under the lower ribs.
Watch a clip for this yoga pose
How to do Frog Pose, or Bhekasana, in easy steps
Step 1:
Begin by lying on your belly. Slightly separate the legs.
Step 2:
Exhale, bend your knees and bring the feet in towards your buttocks pressing them gently towards the floor - they should be slightly off centre but don't let them, or the knees, splay out.
Step 3:
On an inhalation, reach back and take hold of the tops of the feet with the hands.
Step 4:
If possible, pivot on the palms of your hands so that the wrists point back and your fingers point forward, in the same direction as your toes.
Step 5:
Carefully lift your chest, head, and shoulders into a backbend. Look straight ahead.
Step 6:
Stay in the pose for up to 10 breaths, breathe smoothly.
Step 7:
To release, let go of the feet and come down to lying.
Yoga pose category: Lying Face Down
Level: 2
Putting additional support under the ribs, like a cushion or blanket, will make you feel more comfortable by reducing the pressure on the chest. By practicing like this, you will build in the strength to master this pose, and similar poses, without extra support.
Sanskrit words meaning:
Bheka - frog
Asana - pose
Yoga pose health benefits:
Like all yoga poses, Frog Pose has many health benefits. Use it to help with the following health conditions:
Flat feet
Posture
Digestion
Fatigue
Circulation
Gout
Sprained ankle
Yoga pose contraindications:
Don’t practice Frog Pose if you have any of the following health conditions:
Neck injury
Shoulder injury
Back injury
Knee injury
High blood pressure
Low blood pressure
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Lucy Edge
is a yoga advocate and writer with three yoga books to her name, including the beloved travel memoir Yoga School Dropout. She writes regularly for the national press, has authored over 150 guides to types of yoga and yoga poses, discovered nearly 250 proven health benefits of yoga through her painstaking classification of 300 clinical studies, and collected more than 500 personal testimonials to the real life benefits of yoga. She is also the creator of our yoga shop – YogaClicks.Store – handpicking yoga brands that are beautifully made by yogis committed to environmental and social sustainability.
