Kurmasana

Turtle Pose

Notes

To prepare for this pose, the spine flexes, the scapulae abduct, the hips flex and abduct, and the knees flex. Once the arms are in position under the legs, the actions that deepen the pose are the reversal of the preparatory ones: spinal extension, scapular adduction, hip extension and adduction, and knee extension.

This opposition of actions in the spine and scapulae means that muscles such as the spinal extensors and rhomboids are asked to contract from a very lengthened position (one of the more challenging positions from which to concentrically contract a muscle). Because the arms are bound under the legs, the action can potentially be forced into vulnerable spots: The spine could overflex in the lumbar or thoracic regions, or the hamstrings could over mobilize at their attachment on the sitz bones.

Images from the book Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff & Amy Matthews displayed on this website are used under license.