Your Monthly Yoga Pose

Supta Baddah Konasana

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself you have built against it.” Rumi

Rumi’s quote above is simply telling you to open your heart. Madonna sang it, “Open your heart to me, I hold the lock.” You, and only you, are responsible for how tight or closed your lock around your heart may be. As love fills the air, notice the parts of you stopping the love from coming in.

This month’s pose allows us to surrender in an open heart. Supta baddah konasana, or reclined bound angle pose, is a pose that brings openness and light to the heart or upper chest. This simple pose opens the hips and heart. Many of us feel vulnerable when being so open. We build walls to protect ourselves from the fear of pain. When we are open, we are exposed both to scrutiny and love. By staying closed, however, we make it more difficult to allow the beauty of love and light to enter. The choice is yours.

Supta baddah konasana:

1. Sit on the ground and bring the soles of the feet together.
2. Lie back and open your arms to the sides or one hand on the heart and the other on the belly.
3. Close your eyes and breathe in and out for 5-10 breaths.

Supta baddah konasana is a pose that works well with modifications:

• Supta baddah konasana with blocks, blankets or towels under legs (excellent for tight hips).

1. Place a rolled blanket or towel or a block under each thigh.
2. Repeat steps 1-3 above.

• Supta baddah konasana with laying on a block (excellent for opening the heart and chest).

1. Place a block on the ground where the middle of the back would lie.
2. The block can be in the lowest or middle position.
3. Repeat steps 1-3 above.

• Supta baddah konasana with blocks, blankets and hands overhead.

1. Place blankets under legs.
2. Place block under the heart.
3. Bring the soles of the feet together and lie back onto the block
4. Place hands overhead holding on to each elbow.
5. Close your eyes and breathe in and out for 5-10 breaths.

I hope you enjoy this pose, and I hope that you find and keep a light and open heart. For videos detailing this pose and more, follow me on Instagram @namastewithnatalia.

Namaste.

Natalia Foote is the owner of threeR, a company bringing mindfulness, meditation and yoga practices to the workplace. Her mission in life is spreading love and light in the world. When not spending time with her family, you can find Natalia taking and teaching yoga all around Lake Nona.