intermediate · Ustrasana
Camel Pose
Ustrasana
Animated Camel Pose
Scroll to move from a neutral stand into Camel Pose. With reduced motion, the final shape stays still.
Alignment cues
- Kneel with knees hip width and thighs perpendicular to the floor
- Place both hands on the heels with fingers pointing toward the toes
- Lift the chest toward the ceiling while hips stay over the knees
- Keep the neck long with gaze upward only if comfortable
- Press shins and tops of feet down into the mat
Variants
- Hands on low back. Support the pelvis with palms at the sacrum instead of reaching heels
- Toes tucked. Tuck toes under to bring heels higher
Camel pose (ustrasana)
Ustrasana kneels with thighs vertical, chest lifted, and both hands catching the heels behind the body.
Why it helps
NCCIH summarizes stress-related yoga research at the practice level, not for ustrasana alone (Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety (NCCIH)).
How to do it well
Kneel with knees under hips, thighs vertical, and hands at the low back. Press hips forward, lift the sternum, and reach hands to the heels one at a time. Keep quadriceps engaged so knees do not splay, and let the throat stay long without crunching the neck. Keep breathing steadily while the chest lifts.
A common mistake and how to scale it
A common mistake is collapsing into the lower back to grab heels while the hips drift back. Scale by keeping palms on the sacrum, lifting the chest, and only walking hands to heels when the hip bones stay stacked over the knees.
When to use caution
Check with a clinician first if lumbar spine disease, severe high blood pressure, knee or hip injuries, or glaucoma is in your history, as NCCIH advises for yoga generally (Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety (NCCIH)).
Practice with the atlas
Take three breaths, lead with the chest to return upright, and sit on heels before folding into child’s pose.