Supta Kurmasana in Ashtanga — Primary Series

Where it sits

Supta Kurmasana, the reclining tortoise, continues directly from Kurmasana in the seated part of the Ashtanga Primary Series, Yoga Chikitsa. Kurmasana folds forward with the arms under the legs. Supta Kurmasana takes that fold further and is one of the more advanced shapes in Primary. In Mysore-style practice it is common to spend a while at this point before moving on.

The next pose is Garbha Pindasana, which asks for a comfortable lotus and for the arms to thread through it. The two poses sit next to each other in the count and ask for different things. A student is often given one long before the other is complete. The finishing sequence still closes the practice, however much of the seated work has been learned.

What the shape involves

From tortoise, the hands bind behind the back and the feet cross in front of or behind the head, with the body folded deeply forward. The fuller form crosses the feet behind the head. You then release and lift out of the pose. The bind and the crossed feet come together only when the fold is already deep. Many students practise only part of it, for example the bind without crossing the feet.

Common preparation

Kurmasana is the preparation. Sit with the legs apart and the knees bent, fold forward, and slide the arms under the knees only as far as the breath stays even. Straighten the legs as far as is comfortable, and do not press the legs down hard on the arms. The earlier forward folds of Primary are the usual way the hips and the back meet this depth. If Kurmasana is still a bent-knee fold, Supta Kurmasana stays out of the practice.

Typical difficulties

The bind asks the shoulders to reach under the legs and around behind the back. The crossed feet ask the hips and the hamstrings to fold much further than a simple forward bend. Bringing the feet behind the head is the step most students cannot do alone, and should not force. The breath gets short if the fold is too deep, which is a reason to come up a little. A partial bind, with the feet still in front, is a real stage of the pose.

Shoulders and hamstrings

This is general practice guidance, not a medical instruction. Shoulders and hamstrings are where this shape usually feels strongest. Never pull the legs into place by force. If the shoulders or the hamstrings feel strained, stay with Kurmasana, or with the bind and the feet uncrossed. Strain is a reason to simplify the shape. The pose is learned step by step, while the rest of the given practice keeps its own order.

Why a teacher helps

Supta Kurmasana is usually learned with a teacher's help. The feet and the bind meet behind the body, where you cannot see them, and the way out has to stay organised. In a Mysore-style room the teacher decides when to add the next piece. For one-to-one guidance on Primary, private sessions are taught in Dubai or online.

Next in the sequence: Garbha Pindasana.