Kurmasana


Kurmasana, Tortoise Pose, or Turtle Pose is a sitting forward bending asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise.

Etymology and origins

The name comes from the Sanskrit कूर्म Kūrma, "turtle" or "tortoise" and आसन Āsana, "posture" or "seat".
Uttana Kurmasana is described in the ancient, c. 7th century Ahirbudhnya Saṃhitā, and illustrated in the 19th century Jogapradipika and Sritattvanidhi.
The modern Kurmasana is described in B. K. S. Iyengar's 1966 Light on Yoga. Iyengar states that the asana is dedicated to Kurma, the tortoise incarnation of the god Vishnu.

Description

To enter kūrmāsana a practitioner sits with the legs outstretched, feet as wide apart as possible. The knees are bent slightly, keeping the heels in contact with the floor. The body is leaned forward from the hips and the hands slid under the knees. The body leans forward to allow the hands and arms to slide sideways and backward until the elbows lie near the back of the knees. The heels are pushed forward and legs are straightened as much as possible. The forehead or chin is brought to touch the floor. The arms are further brought around the back to interlock the hands under the buttocks.
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Variations

Variations of Kūrmāsana include: