Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana or half bound lotus forward bend — Today with Lola!

Half Bund Lotus Forward Bend, that’s what it translates to in English.
You come across this pose regularly if you are an ashtanga Yoga practitioner. It is positioned towards the end of the standing sequence completing the hip opening actions.
If you don’t practise ashtanga Yoga, it certainly doesn't fall into the must-know asanas, more towards nice-to-be-able-to-do ones.

This pose embodies the principles of asana, which according to Patanjali, II.46

Sthira sukham asanam.
Asana is made of strength/steadiness, and ease/lightness.

You need leg strength to balance on one leg as you fold forward with the other leg folded into half lotus, with the same side arm fed across the back to hold the big toe of the half lotus leg. You get the picture, right?

In the above scenario, you need to be equally steady and at ease.

Strength and focus are also required to lead you smoothly down in the forward fold and, more importantly, back up when exiting gracefully 😊

Why would you want to practice this pose?

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What are the Benefits of Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana?

According to Pattabhi Jois' Yoga Mala,

the rectum, oesophagus (food pipe) and liver are purified.
It prevents gas from occurring in the stomach and stops gas that arises from inappropriate food.

So, the pose is very beneficial for our digestion, as so many.

This is underpinned by Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda, here the pose is called Dakshinardhabaddha Padmottanasana, and as benefits, he mentions:

This removes all the impurities and deposits from all sides of the lower abdomen and expels them out through the anus. It strengthens the digestive power, our agni, daily.

From the Ayurvedic point of view, this is extremely important. A weak Agni, digestive fire/power, is the main culprit for us getting ill, which makes the pose worthwhile to practise.

He also mentions that, apart from during pregnancy, this asana can be practised by everyone of all ages!

How to practise Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana?

It is a complex pose, for sure. Please note that the instructions below are for the final pose!

From Samasthiti, standing, left leg supporting first:

Shift the body's weight onto the left leg, press the floor away with your left foot sole, and let the rebounding strength filter up the entire leg to the hip.
Be light in your right leg, IN lift the right knee out and up, bring your right hand at the back of the knee, hold the foot with the left hand (point the toes) and place the top of the foot on your left upper thigh, in a half lotus position.
Keep your pelvis level and ensure your right knee and hip feel good. It's all about sufficient hip rotation.
IN and EX, bring your right arm across your back to hold the right foot/big toe.
Keep the left hand on the hip.
IN lengthen through the front of your body.
EX fold forward from the hip joint. Place the left hand on the floor.
Stay for 5 deep, subtle breaths. Gaze to the floor for more stability or to your nose.
Exit pose by softening the left knee, IN take gaze in front of you, release right hand and place on the right waist, EX draw your navel back, IN sit slightly back, lift the upper body, and straighten the leg. Release right leg back onto the floor.

Change sides.

How can Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana be made more accessible?

There are many ways how this pose can be modified and made more accessible.

Tree pose, Vrkshasana, a super accessible balance pose minus the forward bend, can prepare your body through many steps for the half lotus forward bend.

The tree pose itself can be made more accessible by placing the heel of the rotated leg, the one eventually gets lifted, above the ankle of the supporting leg. Again, it requires balance, but it is more stable. Once mastered, the foot can be placed on the inner shin, then the inner thigh, half lotus, half lotus with the arm across the back, hold the foot/big toe, then forward bend.

All rotational movements of the leg, either as hip joint mobilisation or asanas leading up to AB, such as Trikonasana, Parsva Konasana, and Utthita Hasta Padangushtasana, are excellent preparation. In addition, any asana before this one in the ashtanga Yoga standing sequence prepares the hips for this pose.

Because of the complexity of the pose, it is best to learn it from an experienced Yoga teacher who can see your practice, literally, in person or online. In addition, the body needs to be ready for it.

Pattabhi Jois mentioned in his Yoga Mala that if this pose is not learnt correctly, we can either focus only on the breath, which will spoil the pose. But, on the other hand, if we focus only on the body, the breath will be spoiled, so we need to bring both components in, as mentioned above, the strength and the ease, in this case, the strength and steadiness of the body and the ease in the breath.

With Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana through the Seasons

The benefits for our digestion make it a great pose to practise throughout the year; strengthening our digestive capacities is of the utmost importance to our health.

Moving through the joints makes it suitable throughout the Vata times of the year, as this big joint action supports good lubrication of the hip and shoulder joints. In addition, the forward bend helps the mind to calm. Three deep breaths might be sufficient.

During the summer, the standing forward bend cools our nervous system and relaxes the mind. The heat of the summer can impact our digestive capacity, as the body uses more energy for cooling than digesting, which makes the deep forward bend with the foot pressing on our abdomen and massaging the digestive organs helpful.

In the late winter and spring, breathing deeply into the abdomen is beneficial; it will get the digestion going. The Kapha dosha, which presides this season, can lead to swellings/fluid retention around the joints; this pose will help to flush out any stagnation and blockages. Holding it for 5 deep, slow breaths would be helpful.

Always prioritise your own abilities over suggestions. You know your body best.

Final Thoughts

For everyone who likes a challenge, this is undoubtedly a pose you can start to master. Circling back to Patanjali, the Yoga Sutras explain mastering as “a quietening of our natural restlessness” (YS 2.47), in short, less fidgeting.

I am certainly not advocating any competitiveness when practising Yoga. I do, however, advocate trying something new and challenging ourselves because overcoming fears, thoughts of "I can't", and any other of the negative spectrum transfer into other areas of our lives. Having mastered something that we never dreamt of being able to do, gives our confidence an enormous boost. We are more inclined to ask for a pay rise or promotion, change jobs/careers or anything else that we deeply would like to do but think isn't for us.

So, start from step one, one foot on the floor, the heel of the other foot above the ankle, bring your palms together in front of your chest, and gaze at a focal point. Continue practising, notice every little progress and celebrate it. All help us along on our way, wherever it takes us. We might surprise ourselves and end up in ABPA.

Enjoy your practice! Please let me know how it went on Instagram, Facebook or even good old email.

I love hearing from you!

Katja x

P.S. If you like to learn more about season living with Ayurveda and how to cook delicious, nourishing meals, head over to the Back to Balance Course for more information and hop onto the Waitlist. The course is going to start up again soon.

Katja