Fun Pose Friday: Modified Visvamitrasana
If you’re ready for a little extra balance in your practice, Modified Visvamitrasana can help you find a new center of gravity. These two twists on Visvamitrasana mix things up with a bend in the back knee, adding some extra stability — or challenge — to the classic arm-balancing pose.
With your back shin on the ground, you can focus a little less on staying upright and ease into exploring the pose. With your knee bent and your foot planted, finding your balance can be a little extra tricky, but a little extra fun, too.
If you’re not familiar with regular Visvamitrasana, learn how with this step-by-step video tutorial on Alo Moves.
How to Prepare for Modified Visvamitrasana Pose
Start with stretches that warm up your body, especially your hamstrings. Sit with your legs about 75 percent apart, then fold forward and to either side. Add on big, open side-body stretches.
Move onto Half Splits after this: Come into a Low Lunge with your left knee down and your right foot between your hands. Then move your hips back so they’re right above your left knee, straightening your right leg. Stay folded with your hands on either side of your right leg or propped up on blocks, flexing your right foot.
Then deepen your Half Split. Take a deep inhale in to lengthen your upper body, then exhale for a bigger fold, maybe bringing your elbows to the floor. Then walk forward back into Low Lunge and repeat on the other side.
Two Ways to Modify
Visvamitrasana Pose
How to Do Modified Visvamitrasana
- Gate Pose Variation
Start in Gate Pose: Kneel down facing the long side of your mat, then stretch your left leg out to the side with your heel on the mat and your toes pointing up.
Snuggle your left shoulder under your left knee. (If you can’t quite make it, put your left tricep behind your left calf and shorten your stance so your left shoulder is directly above your left wrist.)
Ground your left fingertips behind your left foot, and then find a spiraling motion in your arm by rotating your bicep forward and your tricep back. Keep your elbow slightly bent.
Clamp your left calf around your left arm, then lean slightly back, lifting your left leg.
With your right hand, grab your outer left foot. Extend your leg forward and open your chest.
Once you’re feeling stable, you could try to turn your gaze upward.
When you’re ready to come out of the pose, carefully lower your front foot and move into Child’s Pose or Wide-Legged Forward Fold. Repeat on the other side.
How to Do Modified Visvamitrasana
- Side Squat Variation
Come to a Low Lunge with your left leg forward, and spin your right heel to the floor as you would in Warrior II.
Bend your right knee so your legs are almost in a squat or a low Goddess Pose stance.
Snuggle your left shoulder under your left knee. If you can’t, put your tricep behind your calf and shorten your stance so your left shoulder is directly above your left wrist.
Ground your left fingertips, then find a spiraling motion in your arm by rotating your bicep forward and your tricep back.
Lift your left leg and clamp your calf around your arm. If that feels okay, nestle your shoulder under your knee, so your leg is clamped around your shoulder. Stay active in your back foot!
With your right hand, grab your outer left foot. Extend your leg straight and open your chest out to the side, keeping your right leg bent in that squat position.
Once you’re feeling stable, you could try to turn your gaze upward or come up on your back toes.
When you’re ready to come out of the pose, carefully lower your front foot and move into a Wide-Legged Forward Fold. Then repeat on the other side.
Benefits of Modified Visvamitrasana
Increases balance and coordination
Builds core and leg strength
Opens the side body
Builds strength and flexibility for full Visvamitrasana
Start your 14-day trial to Alo Moves for a detailed Visvamitrasana video tutorial by Ashley Galvin — and if you’re ready to put it into a flow, Meghan Currie’s Take Flight class will have you soaring into a stronger arm balance practice.