Want to learn more about Padahastasana, aka Hand Under Foot Pose? In this post, I share the benefits of Padahastasana, a complete pose breakdown, contraindications, myths, a step-by-step video, modifications and more.

Padahastasana is a pretty freaking intense forward fold. It’s so deep that it is also classified as an inversion. When I have been consistently working on strengthening my quads and lengthening my hamstrings, then this pose become accessible and feels great. Remember, it’s ok to take your time in modified stages of the pose as you prepare your body to be able to practice the pose more deeply.
Despite the level of intensity, Hand Under Foot Pose, as it is also known, comes up fairly regularly in yoga classes. This is most likely because it is the second standing pose of the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Sequence.
Maybe because it is so intense, some schools of yoga refer to Uttanasana as Padahasatasana, and these schools tend to classify Padahastasana as part of the Surya Namaskar series.
Fun fact: I discovered while writing this post that it’s also known as Gorilla Pose.
- Padahastasana Quick Facts
- Padahastasana Benefits
- Precautions & Contraindications
- Misconceptions & Myths About Hand Under Foot Pose
- Padahastasana Pose Breakdown
- Modifications & Variations
- Yoga Poses Related to Hand Under Foot Pose
- Related Posts & Videos
- Gear & Resources for This Pose
- A Final Note About Hand Under Foot Pose
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Padahastasana Quick Facts
This article may contain affiliate / compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.
Sanskrit | Padahastasana |
English | Hand Under Foot Pose / Gorilla Pose |
Pronunciation | pahd-AH-has-TAH-sah-nuh |
Meaning | Pada means foot. Hasta means hand. Asana means pose or posture. Padahastasana means Hand to Foot Pose, and is commonly translated as Hand Under Foot Pose. |
Padahastasana Benefits
Note: I only include the scientifically supported benefits of Padahastasana 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 Padahastasana include:
- Stretches your hamstrings, calf muscles, and your glutes (butt muscles).
- Strengthens your quads, hip flexors, abdominals, and knee joints.
- Helps elongate your spine — when done with proper alignment.
- Helps improve hip flexibility.
- Can help to improve overall balance.
- Can help relieve tension in the neck.
- Helps stretch your lower back.
- Because of the intense flexion at your hips, your piriformis muscles are stretched, which can help relieve sciatic nerve pain (aka SI joint pain).
- Helps relieve carpal tunnel syndrome and increases flexibility of the wrists.
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 a serious back injury, it is best to avoid Hand Under Foot Pose.
- If you have an abdominal hernia, you will be better served to modify the pose. See Modifications below.
- If you are pregnant and in your late second- or your third-trimester, you may want to avoid this pose — your belly could get in the way. You might be able to keep practicing the pose, if you can get your feet wide enough apart so your belly does not press into your thighs.
- If you have lower back pain or herniated vertebral discs in your lower back, you may wish to practise with your knees bent and hands on blocks, the wall or a yoga chair. See Modifications below.
- If you have sciatica, bend your knees to protect the low back.
- Hamstring injuries will remind you they are there when practicing this pose. It’s becoming a common refrain: bend your knees.
- If you have high blood pressure take your time lowering your head below your heart and do not stay in the pose very long. As an alternative you can practice Ardha Uttanasana.
- If you have low blood pressure, bringing your head below your heart can cause lightheadedness when standing up again. Before coming up, bend your knees, place your hands on your waist, lift your torso up slowly. As an alternative you can practice Ardha Uttanasana.
- If you have a detached retina it is best to not bring your head below your heart.
- If you have any injury to your hips, back, legs, shoulders or neck, take precautions, modify as needed, and practice safely.
Misconceptions & Myths About Hand Under Foot Pose
I have read countless claims associated with this pose that veer into the mystical and magical realm of yoga. It has got lots of real benefits so why do we need to make up more?
Here are some of my favourite often-repeated but unsubstantiated claims about Padahastasana.
“This pose will encourage the flow of blood back to the brain and upper regions of the body.”
Which is apparently necessary because gravity prevents blood from flowing to our brains and upper body (you know, where the heart, the organ the pump ALL the blood through our body, lives). Except that this is not how the body functions. Blood gets to your head just fine while you are upright. Don’t worry!
“Folding forward massages your organs and improves digestion.”
We don’t advocate massaging your internal organs. Some massage practitioners claim that colon massages can be used to remove gas, blockages, and waste, reduce abdominal fluid, and improve overall digestive health. However, a comprehensive study from 2011 found that there is “no sound evidence for the effectiveness of abdominal massage in the treatment of chronic constipation.”
“Should not be done if you have high blood pressure.” Also “Lowers high blood pressure.”
Hmm. Which is it? Is it both? Neither. If you have problems with high or low blood pressure, consult your doctor before spending a lot of time in forward folds.
“Helps with infertility.”
I assume they means that it helps prevent or reverse infertility. Is that in women? In men? And exactly how does it do this? The implication is that infertility is somehow your fault and you can fix the problem with some yoga. And if you can’t? Well, you must be a bad yogi. Ugh.
“Shortening of the legs owing to fracture of the leg or thigh-bones is rectified.”
It goes on to say, “…you will get slight lengthening of the leg by practice of this asana for about three months and rubbing the thighs and legs with mustard oil to which a little salt is added.”
Well, I haven’t tried this, so I don’t know for sure, but I suspect this is horse shit.
Padahastasana Pose Breakdown
How to do Padahastasana / Hand Under Foot Pose
- Stand in Tadasana with your feet hip distance apart. For a more advanced version of Padahastasana bring your feet together.
- Stretch your arms up and overhead and stretch your body before folding forward.
- Fold forward and place your hands (fingertips or palms flat) on the ground.
If you can’t keep your legs straight and touch the ground without your back rounding excessively I recommend first practicing Uttanasana and Ardha Uttanasana using the step-by-step guides I have created for you. Once these poses are possible with straight legs, you are ready to progress to Padahastasana.
- Push down and forward with your hands to help move your chest back towards your thighs.
- Place your hands, palm up, under your feet, with your toes touching your wrists. Have your elbows slightly bent and pointing out to the sides.
- Move the front of your ribs away from your thighs and lengthen through the front of your torso.
- Lengthen through all sides of your neck. Stretch long through your spine.
- Move your shoulders away from your ears.
- Push down through your feet into your hands. Push down through all of your fingers.
- Shift your weight forward slightly so that your hands take most of your weight.
- Squeeze your legs towards each other and fully straighten your legs. If you have a tendency to hyperextend your knees, work to avoid that here and keep a slight (nearly imperceptible) bend in your knees.
- Bring your forehead to your legs if possible.
- Stay here for a few breaths. This is Padahastasana.
- To come out, bend your knees a little, place your hands on your waist, and stand up. Tadasana or Indudalasana make good counter poses to this forward fold.
Note: The final form of the pose is done with feet together. However feet hip-distance apart is more accessible to students. It allows for more movement in the pelvis to fold forward which helps create more space for lengthening your hamstrings. Also, balancing in the pose is easier when your feet are slightly apart.
Modifications & Variations
If you can’t stand on your hands with straight legs
Use a strap under the balls of your feet or bend your knees.
If you have an abdominal hernia
The best thing you can do is to bring your hands down onto something. I recommend bending your knees until you can touch the ground. Or, you can get two yoga blocks and place them under your hands.
With your hands on the ground or blocks it will give your hamstrings a chance to release and start to lengthen, which won’t happen if you hang out in this pose with your hands off the ground.
If you are in your late second- or your third-trimester
You may want to avoid this pose — your belly could get in the way. However, you also may want to keep practicing this pose. It’s your practice and your body. You are a better judge of what is right for you than I am. If you can get your feet wide enough apart so your belly does not press into your thighs that will help make this pose more accessible.
If you have lower back pain or herniated vertebral discs in your lower back
Make sure you practice with caution. If you have a spinal herniation you should not bend forward completely. Instead practice Padahastasana with a concave lower back, with your palms on blocks, and separate your feet so they are at least hip-width apart.
Depending on the position or intensity of your herniated disc, blocks may not be high enough and you might want to place your hands on the seat, or even the back, of a yoga chair.
If you have sciatica
Bend your knees to protect your lower back.
If you have high blood pressure
Take your time lowering your head below your heart, and do not stay in the pose very long. As an alternative you can practice Ardha Uttanasana.
If you have low blood pressure
Your doctor may advise you to not bring your head below your heart. If that is the case you should not practice Padahastasana. As an alternative you can practice Ardha Uttanasana.
Bringing your head below your heart can cause lightheadedness when standing up again. If you know your body and practice and want to practice Hand Under Foot Pose, before standing up, bend your knees, place your hands on your waist, and lift your torso up slowly.
If your back rounds
If your back rounds a lot, you will be better served to work on Uttanasana and Ardha Uttanasana until you can practice these with straight legs and the natural curves of your spine before progressing to Padahastasana. Patience is practice!
If balance is difficult
If you find it difficult to balance, separate your feet and place a yoga block between your thighs. This will help build strength, stability and confidence.
If you have a hamstring injury
Modify by using a wall. Face the wall and fold forward until just before the point of pain in your hamstrings. Reach out and place your hands on the wall and push your hands into the wall, and feet into the ground. You can also use the seat, or back, of a yoga chair to support you. It can take a long time to heal a hamstring injury so please practice patience.
If the backs of your hands hurt
Congratulations! You have got far enough with the pose that standing on your hands hurts. You can always place a yoga blanket under your hands so that there is a little extra cushion for your hands.
Yoga Poses Related to Hand Under Foot Pose
Preparatory Poses
- Adho Mukha Svanasana / Downward Facing Dog Pose
- Prasarita Padottanasana / Wide Leg Forward Fold
- Balasana / Child’s Pose
- Uttanasana / Forward Fold
- Parsva Uttanasana / Side Forward Fold
- Parivrtta Uttanasana / Revolved Forward Fold
- Padangusthasana / Big Toe Pose
- Bhujanghasana / Cobra Pose
- Janu Sirsasana / Forehead to Knee Pose
- Paschimottanasana / Seated Forward Fold Pose
Follow-up Poses
- Padangusthasana / Big Toe Pose
- Ardha Uttanasana / Half Forward Fold Pose
- Tadasana / Mountain Pose
- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana / Bridge Pose
- Matsyasana / Fish Pose
- Purvottanasana / Reverse Plank Pose
Poses To Take Your Practice Further
- Paschimottanasana / Seated Forward Fold Pose
- Parivrtta Paschimottanasana / Twisted Seated Forward Fold Pose
- Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana / Half Bound Lotus Forward Fold
- Hanumanasana / Full Splits aka Hanuman’s Pose
- Adho Mukha Vrksasana / Handstand
Related Posts & Videos
- Post: Uttanasana Benefits and Yoga Pose Tutorial
- Post: Paschimottanasana Benefits & Yoga Pose Tutorial
- Video: Step by Step Guide to Padahastasana
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 Yoga Straps
- Machine Washable Vegan Yoga Blankets
- Pune Yoga Chair
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 Hand Under Foot Pose
There is something I love about this pose. I feel a personal connection that I guess the shape of the pose helps foster. Once the pose become possible it can also become quite comforting. At least that’s my experience.
What’s your experience? Let me know how this pose make you feel. I’d love to hear from you.
See you on (and off) the ice OMies, Stephen
I hope this post has been helpful in expanding your understanding and possibilities with Hand Under Foot Pose. I want these posts to inspire you to explore your yoga practice more deeply and I hope this post helps you see this fairly common pose with new awareness. The more you learn about each pose, the more it will help you find the strength and clarity needed to live your adventure to the fullest!

