Baddha Konasana A & B

Baddha konasana is a symmetrical pose as such, it provides an opportunity for locating and balancing asymmetries, particularly in the hips and pelvis. 

Anatomy

Baddha konasana is a symmetrical pose as such, it provides an opportunity for locating and balancing asymmetries, particularly in the hips and pelvis. First identify the elemental movements that create the form of the pose. For example, the hips flex, abduct, and externally rotate. Each component of hip movement is like a subplot in the story of the pose. Focusing on specific components brings greater awareness to the nuances of each movement. Begin with abduction: tight adduc- tors can restrict drawing the knees apart. Use facilitated stretching, as detailed in the Key Concepts, to create length in the adductor group and free the hips to open the knees. Then work on improving external rotation of the hips. Limitations in this movement may stem from tightness in the internal rotators the gluteus medius and minimus and the tensor fascia lata. Use the facilitated stretch provided for Padmasana (Lotus Pose) to increase the range of hip external rotation. Combine this with the mobility gained in abduction to deepen Baddha Konasana. Next, invoke the deep external rotators of the hip and the muscles of the pelvic floor to nutate the sacrum and gain subtle depth in the pose. Connect the hands and feet. One variation has the elbows bending to draw the body forward. In another variation, the back arches and the shoulder blades draw together to lift the torso upward, expanding the chest. Use the arms in combination with the hamstrings to draw the feet closer to the pelvis one objective of the final pose. Remember to maintain the knees as hinge joints. Gain most of your mobility from the hips, which are ball and socket joints.  

BASIC JOINT POSITIONS

• The hips flex, abduct, and externally rotate. 
• The knees flex. 
• The ankles are neutral. 
• The trunk extends. 
• The shoulders flex, adduct, and externally rotate. 
• The elbows flex.