Want to learn more about Astavakrasana, or Eight Angle Pose? In this post, I share the benefits of Astavakrasana, a complete pose breakdown, contraindications, myths, a step-by-step video, modifications and more.
I get it: Astavakrasana is an intimidating pose. It’s an advanced arm balance that demands core strength, hip mobility and balance. And when you look at it, your brain just can’t figure out how you might even be able to consider getting your body to do that.
I feel ya. I can still remember the first time I tried to figure out Astavakrasana. I had come from a yoga class where the teacher — presumably Keric — had taught the pose in class. I was really new to yoga and hadn’t seen it before.
Astavakrasana intrigued me because it seemed impossible, but I knew that in yoga we make the impossible possible, so I wanted to start investigating how to make Astavakrasana possible to me.
After class, I went to Santa Monica Beach, where Jane was playing in a Beach Ultimate tournament. I sat on the beach, half watching her play and half looking at a picture of someone doing the pose while my brain tried to figure out what was happening.
The picture was really small because I was looking at it on the screen of my Blackberry Pearl (remember those?) and I had no idea how to even start. I proceeded to try and do the pose, on the sand, from the ground up. It did not go well.
I now know that:
- It is really hard to do arm balances on sand.
- It’s best to start the pose with my body compacted and then stretch out.
- Entering from Uttanasana is easier some days.
Eight Angle Pose is an advanced posture. It demands strength, flexibility and balance. However, it is easily broken down into other poses that you can practice so that you can take the pieces and put them together into the full pose.
Refining your Malasana, Uttanasana, Chaturanga Dandasana, Paschimottanasana, Eka Hasta Bhujasana and Akarna Dhanurasana will help prepare you for the demands of Astavakrasana.
Check out the Preparatory Poses list at the bottom of this post for more poses to work on to help you get to Astavakrasana.
- Astavakrasana Quick Facts
- Astavakrasana Benefits
- Precautions & Contraindications
- Misconceptions & Myths About Eight Angle Pose
- Astavakrasana Pose Breakdown
- Modification & Variations
- Yoga Poses Related to Eight Angle Pose
- Related Posts & Videos
- Gear & Resources for This Pose
- A Final Note About Eight Angle Pose
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Astavakrasana Quick Facts
| Sanskrit | Astavakrasana or Ashtavakrasana |
| English | Eight Angle Pose / Astavakra’s Pose / Crooked in Eight Places Pose |
| Pronunciation | ahsh-TAH-vah-KRAH-suh-nah |
| Meaning | Asta means eight. Vakra means bent, curved, or twisted. Asana means pose or posture. Astavakrasana means the Bent in Eight Places Pose, however it is generally called Eight Angle Pose in English. Astavakrasana gets its name from the eight twists and bends your body has to do in order to practice the pose (your torso, neck, both wrists, both feet, and both knees). The pose is named after a Sage in Hindu mythology named Astavakra, who was born with a twisted body. Find out more about him in the Myths & Misconceptions section below. |
Astavakrasana Benefits
Note: I only include the scientifically supported benefits of Astavakrasana here. Plenty of claims about other supposed benefits (from the plausible to the magical to the ridiculous) have been made. To me, pseudo-scientific claims only serve to harm the yoga community, so I choose not to give them airtime here.
The main physical benefits of Astavakrasana include:
- Builds strength in your arms (biceps and triceps), shoulders and wrists extensors.
- Strengthens your Gluteus Minimus, Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Maximus.
- Strengthens your quadriceps.
- Strengthens your leg/hip adductors (inner thighs).
- Strengthens your ankles.
- Tones and strengthens your pelvic floor.
- Strengthens your abdominal muscles, building core strength.
- Tests your ability to focus.
- Improves your ability to balance.
- Stretches your hamstrings.
- Stretches your wrist flexors.
- Stretches your pectoralis major and can help open your chest.
- The focus the pose demands may help relieve stress.
- Learning to balance in the pose builds your confidence.
If you want more on the benefits of yoga, see our complete guide to the benefits of yoga, which includes a history of yoga plus the origins of our modern yoga practice and much more.
Precautions & Contraindications
Remember that while yoga is for everyone, not all poses are for all people!
- If you have ankle, knee, hip or lower back issues, proceed with caution.
- If you are pregnant, this is a pose you will likely want to avoid for much of your pregnancy. In Astavakrasana, your torso twists and a lot of pressure goes into your twisted upper body, so it is not an ideal pose to practice when pregnant.
- If you have high blood pressure, a heart ailment, or vertigo, you may wish to avoid Astavakrasana — because of the torso twist your breathing can be restricted.
- If you have back pain issues or herniated discs in your spine, you should avoid practicing this pose.
- Almost any injury to your shoulders, arms, wrists, neck, hips, knees, lower back, ankles, feet and pelvis is contraindicated for Astavakrasana. Only you know your body and practice, so listen to yourself when you practice and practice wisely.
- If you have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, you likely will want to avoid practising this pose.
- If you have osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, you likely will want to skip Eight Angle Pose due to the amount of pressure your body takes in the pose.
Misconceptions & Myths About Eight Angle Pose
Who was Astavakra?
Astavakra is a Vedic sage (a holy man) in Hindu mythology. He is written about as if he really lived but it is unclear if he was real or a character invented to teach us. It’s possible he is a mix of the two.
His name literally means “one who has eight bends” and it is a reference to the eight places his body was twisted. Astavakra’s story is so compelling that I teach a workshop based around his story and his pose.
One day Kahoda, Astavakra’s father, was practicing the Vedas. He made some mistakes, and every time he did, Astavakra — while he was still in his mother’s womb, no less — laughed. For this, his father cursed him and when Astavakra was born, his body was all twisted.
Astavakra’s story doesn’t end there. He is one of the more important characters in the Hindu Itihasa epics and Puranas. During his amazing adventures, he becomes the spiritual guru of King Janaka after winning a philosophical rap battle (a Sasatratra), that also happened to free his father from a watery prison. More on that another day…
He is said to have written the Astavakra Gita, a dialogue between Astavakra and Janaka on the nature of Self, reality and bondage. The text is grounded in a non-dualistic philosophy. My favourite passage is this short section, which such a beautiful summary of the heart of yoga:
Set aside your body.
Astavakra gita, attributed to Astavakra
Sit in your own awareness.
You will at once be happy,
Forever still, Forever free.
Astavakrasana shows us that, like the namesake of the pose, despite being faced with challenges, by engaging the soul to achieve mental stability, one can overcome great obstacles. This pose also allows the opportunity to witness and to appreciate your inner strength.
Practicing When Menstruating
It is often repeated in yoga circles that many poses should not be practiced when menstruating. Welcome to the patriarchy. It’s alive and well in yoga.
Sometimes “they” say you shouldn’t practice yoga 25% of the time because men think menstruating is somehow unnatural. And other times it is because men, despite having never having had a period, think it is a good idea to decide for women what they can do with their bodies. This isn’t new, of course. It has been happening for the past few centuries.
Astavakrasana is one of the poses that some people say you should never practice if you are menstruating. I can’t imagine why, except that “you are weak” and therefore couldn’t possibly do the pose. My thoughts are: if you want to practice the pose and you’re on your period, go for it. If you don’t, don’t.
Practicing When Pregnant
That said, Astavakrasana is not a pose that most people who are pregnant should attempt. For much of your pregnancy closed twists are not advisable.
Closed twists are when your torso compresses rather than expands. Parivrtta Trikonasana is a closed twist, whereas Trikonasana is an open twist.
Eight Angle Pose also puts a lot of pressure into your abdomen, which also isn’t recommended when you are pregnant.
Astavakrasana Pose Breakdown
How to do Astavakrasana / Eight Angle Pose
Note: this pose is very difficult to teach in writing. I highly recommend watching the video above to help you understand how everything fits together.
How to enter Astavakrasana from Dandasana
- Sit in Dandasana.
- Stretch your arms up overhead as you stretch your legs straight and stretch your spine long.
- Flex at your hips a little and fold forward just enough so that you can hold your big toes with your first two fingers. Wrap your thumbs around the top of your big toes. If you can do this with straight legs, do. If you need to bend your knees, do.
- Pull on your big toes and push your feet away. Work to keep your ankles straight, rather than twisting in or out.
- Draw your lower back in, tilt your pelvis forward (slight anterior tilt) and lengthen through your spine.
- Pick up your right foot, bend your right knee, and pull your knee back outside your right shoulder.
- Let go of your left leg and straighten your left leg.
- With your left hand hold underneath your right calf muscle. Support your leg with your left hand so that you can let go with your right hand.
- Bring your right arm inside your right leg and place your right hand on the ground. Make your wrist parallel to the front of your mat.
- Turn your right heel out so that your right heel is under your toes. Hug your right leg into your right arm.
- With your left hand, let go of your right calf muscles and place your left hand on the ground outside your left leg and so that it lines up with your right hand. Make your wrist parallel to the front of your mat.
- Push down with your hands. Push your right leg down onto your right upper arm. Lift your hips off the ground.
- Lengthen your spine and flex at your hips.
- Pull back with your hands so that your left heel slides back and your hips lift up behind you.
- Push down onto your right arm with your right leg. Keep your hips as flexed as they are and lower your hips down and forward while pushing your right leg onto your right arm.
- Use the push of your right leg on your arm to lift your left leg off the ground. Make your left leg really straight and strong. Tone your core.
- This is Eka Hasta Bhujasana.
- Cross your left ankle over your right ankle. Squeeze your thighs together.
- Push your top leg down onto your upper arm and shift your chest forward and move your hips back.
PRO TIP: To help shift your chest and hips, push your top leg down strongly onto your upper arm. Squeeze your bottom leg up into your top leg to help activate your core. Use the resistance between your leg and arm and shift your chest forward and down and your hips back and up. - Move your shoulders away from your ears and shift the front of your ribs in and back slightly. Gently move the lower portion of your shoulder blades towards each other. This will help to stabilise your shoulders on your back.
- Squeeze your legs together and stretch them out straight to the right.
- Look over your left shoulder. Lift your left shoulder as high as your right. Keep looking over your left shoulder.
- This is Astavakrasana. Hold for a few breaths before coming out by following these steps in the opposite direction (i.e., exit as you entered).
- Eight Angle Pose is a two-sided pose so be sure to practice this on both sides.
- Dandasana, Paschimottanasana and Setu Bandha Sarvangasana are all good poses to practice after Astavakrasana.
How to enter Astavakrasana from Uttanasana
- Stand in Tadasana.
- Separate your feet wider that your hips.
- Fold forward into a wider-legged Uttanasana.
- Bend your knees and touch the ground.
- Tuck your right arm inside and behind your right leg and bend your knees enough that you can place your right hand on the ground outside your right foot. Make your wrist parallel to the front of your mat.
- Take your left arm in front of your left leg and place your left hand on the ground outside your left foot. Make your wrist parallel to the front of your mat.
- Bend your knees more and lower your hips so that your upper right leg pushes down onto your right upper arm.
- Push your right leg down into your arm and resist with your arm so that you can lift your right foot off the ground.
- Walk your left foot closer to your right foot.
- Quickly cross your left ankle over your right ankle. Squeeze your thighs together.
- Push your top leg down onto your upper arm and shift your chest forward and move your hips back.
PRO TIP: To help shift your chest and hips, push your top leg down strongly onto your upper arm. Squeeze your bottom leg up into your top leg to help activate your core. Use the resistance between your leg and arm and shift your chest forward and down and your hips back and up. - Move your shoulders away from your ears and shift the front of your ribs in and back slightly. Gently move the lower portion of your shoulder blades towards each other. This will help to stabilise your shoulders on your back.
- Squeeze your legs together and stretch them out straight to the right.
- Look over your left shoulder. Lift your left shoulder as high as your right. Keep looking over your left shoulder.
- This is Astavakrasana. Hold for a few breaths before coming out following these steps in the opposite direction (i.e., exit as you entered).
- Eight Angle Pose is a two-sided pose so be sure to practice this on both sides.
- Dandasana, Paschimottanasana and Setu Bandha Sarvangasana are all good poses to practice after Astavakrasana.
Modification & Variations
Tips for beginners
If you are new to yoga you will find Astavakrasana challenging. Heck, even if you’ve been practicing yoga for years there is a good chance you’ll find this pose challenging.
Your outer elbow is going to want to go on a wander. Keep an eye on it and hug your elbow in close to your ribs. This prevents your outer shoulder from dropping and stabilises your shoulder, which gives you access to more strength and power.
PRO TIP: Once you can balance in the pose you won’t need to rest your torso on your outer arm. But when you are learning the pose it can help to bring your outer arm in enough that you can push your ribs down onto your arm. This will help you come off the ground and stay off the ground, and it takes less arm and core strength to use your outer arm like this. In the final form you do not rest on your outer arm, but you do keep it close to your side.
I can’t balance!
I like practicing the pose on my back. Flip it over and the balance work is taken away so you can refine the other aspects of the pose. This will help make finding your balance easier when you try the arm balance next.
You can also place a bolster under bottom of your hip and yoga blocks or a second bolster under your legs so that you can practice the shape of Astavakrasana.
My hips won’t come off the ground!
It can help to place yoga blocks under your hands before pressing up into the arm balance. The blocks help shift your centre of gravity and can make the transition from on-the-ground to off-the-ground more accessible.
I also recommend taking a step back and working on Eka Hasta Bhujasana. You have to be able to lift your whole body off the ground and balance in Eka Hasta Bhujasana before Eight Angle Pose is going to be easy for you. But if you practice it will be.
My wrists hurts!
Use a yoga wedge under your hands. If you have wrist issues, check out a yoga wedge. It gently decreases the angle of flexion or extension as you require and helps alleviate a lot of common wrist pain issues.
I want more!
Once you become comfortable in Astavakrasana, there is a whole world of transitions that open up.
- You can try floating back to Chaturanga Dandasana without letting your feet touch the ground (until you are in Chaturanga, that is).
- You can transition into Eka Pada Koundinyasana 2, then over to EPK2 on the other side, and finally into Astavakrasana on the other side.
- You can slowly lower your torso from Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana) and float into Astavakrasana.
- If you want to get really fancy, you can even float into Astavakrasana from Adho Mukha Svanasana!
Yoga Poses Related to Eight Angle Pose
Preparatory Poses
- Adho Mukha Svanasana / Downward Dog Pose
- Prasarita Padottanasana / Wide Leg Forward Fold
- Uttanasana / Forward Fold
- Balasana / Child’s Pose
- Parsva Uttanasana / Side Forward Fold
- Parivrtta Uttanasana / Revolved Forward Fold
- Malasana / Squat or Garland Pose
- Chaturanga Dandasana / Four-Limbed Staff Pose
- Paschimottanasana / Seated Forward Fold
- Eka Hasta Bhujasana / One Arm and Leg Pose
- Akarna Dhanurasana / Ear-Bow Pose
- Eka Pada Rajakapotasana / Pigeon Pose
- Utthita Parsvakonasana / Extended Side Angle Pose
- Utthita Hindolasna / Standing Baby Cradle Pose
- Kakasana / Crow Pose
- Vrksasana / Tree Pose
- Bhujanghasana / Cobra Pose
- Janu Sirsasana / Forehead to Knee Pose
Follow-up Poses
- Urdhva Mukha Svanasana / Upward Facing Dog Pose
- Adho Mukha Svanasana / Downward Dog Pose
- Uttanasana / Forward Fold
- Ardha Uttanasana / Half Forward Fold Pose
- Tadasana / Mountain Pose
- Indudalasana / Standing Side Bend Pose
- Baddha Konasana / Bound Angle Pose
- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana / Bridge Pose
- Purvottanasana / Reverse Plank Pose
Poses To Take Your Practice Further
- Eka Pada Koundinyasana 2 / One Leg Sage Koundinya Pose 2
- Eka Pada Koundinyasana 1 / One Leg Sage Koundinya Pose 1
- Dwi Pada Koundinyasana / Two Leg Sage Koundinya Pose
- Eka Pada Galavasana / One Leg Sage Galava Pose
- Adho Mukha Vrksasana / Handstand
- Bhujapidasana / Arm Pressure Pose
- Tittibhasana / Firefly Pose
- Maksikanagasana / Dragonfly Pose
Related Posts & Videos
- Post: How to do Kakasana — Benefits & Yoga Pose Tutorial
- Post: How to do Prasarita Padottanasana — Benefits & Pose Breakdown
- Video: Yoga Pose Breakdown — Astavakrasana aka Eight Angle Pose
Gear & Resources for This Pose
- BKS Iyengar’s Light on Yoga
- Darren Rhodes’ Yoga Resource Practice Manual
- Yoloha Cork Yoga Mat with plant-based foam
- Yoloha Cork Yoga Blocks
- Organic Cotton or Hemp Yoga Bolsters
- Foam Yoga Wedge
Save 10% on cork yoga gear
- Use our code AYO10 at checkout for 10% off all Yoloha yoga mats & gear.
Good for the planet and great for your practice!
A Final Note About Eight Angle Pose
One of the lessons that Astavakra’s story teaches us is that who you are is more important that what you look like.
Astavakrasana helps to remind us that the real work of every pose is internal and not about achieving an aesthetically perfect asana. Eight Angle Pose forces you to fully engage your body and your mind which improves your ability to find that engagement when it is needed in other poses, and other times in your life.
And I have a feeling that Astavakra (if he ever existed) would be pleased to have this pose named after him because it teaches exactly what he wanted us to learn: judge yourself less by what your body can do and concentrate more on strengthening your mind and your connection to consciousness.
See you on (and off) the ice OMies, Stephen 
I hope this post helps you find ways that Eight Angle Pose can help support you on your yoga adventure. I want these posts to inspire you to explore your yoga practice more deeply and I hope this post helps you see Astavakrasana with new awareness and understanding. The more you understand about each pose the more it will help you find the strength and clarity needed to live your adventure to the fullest!
