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YogaPath

Poses for winding down

Long, supported, low-effort holds. Nothing here needs strength, range or a warm-up.

What this page is, and is not

  • This is a filter over the pose library. A pose appears here because of the muscles it works or the position it holds — nothing more.
  • It is not a treatment, a protocol or a therapy for anything, and nothing on it should be read as one.
  • If you have pain, an injury, or a diagnosed condition, the right next step is a doctor or physiotherapist who can examine you — not a page that has never met you.

General information only — not medical advice. Some asanas are unsuitable during pregnancy, injury or specific conditions. Learn from a qualified teacher and stop if anything hurts.

25 poses that work the winding down

Sorted from the most accessible upwards. Each page lists its own cautions.

Bound Angle Forward Fold Uttāna Baddha Koṇāsana Beginner · forward bends · 1–3 minutes hip adductorsspinal erectors Child's Pose Bālāsana Beginner · restorative · 2–5 minutes lower backglutes Constructive Rest Supta Tāḍāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–15 minutes lower backhip flexors Corpse Pose Śavāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–15 minutes none — full release Crocodile Pose Makarāsana Beginner · restorative · 3–8 minutes lower backneck Cross-Legged Forward Fold Adho Mukha Sukhāsana Beginner · forward bends · 1–2 minutes each side gluteship abductors Downward-Facing Hero Pose Adho Mukha Vīrāsana Beginner · forward bends · 1–3 minutes spinal erectorslatissimus dorsi Flapping Fish Pose Matsya Krīḍāsana Beginner · restorative · 3–6 minutes each side lower backhip flexors Happy Baby Pose Ānanda Bālāsana Beginner · restorative · 1–3 minutes hip adductorsglutes Hare Pose Śaśāṅkāsana Beginner · restorative · 2–5 minutes lower backglutes Kneeling Rest Pose Praṇāmāsana Beginner · restorative · 2–5 minutes spinal erectorsquadriceps Knees-to-Chest Pose Pavanamuktāsana Beginner · restorative · 1–3 minutes lower backglutes Motionless Reclining Pose Niḥspanda Bhāva Beginner · restorative · 10–20 minutes none — full release Reclining Bound Angle Pose Supta Baddha Koṇāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–10 minutes hip adductorship flexors Reclining Easy Pose Supta Sukhāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–10 minutes hip adductorslower back Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose Supta Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana Beginner · restorative · 1–3 minutes each side hamstringscalves Relaxed Staff Pose Śithila Daṇḍāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–15 minutes hamstringscalves Reversed Corpse Pose Advāsana Beginner · restorative · 3–8 minutes none — full release Stick Pose Yaṣṭikāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–8 rounds of stretch and release latissimus dorsiabdominals Supine Abdominal Stretch Supta Udarākarṣaṇāsana Beginner · restorative · 2–4 minutes each side obliqueslower back Supported Bridge Pose Sālamba Setubandhāsana Beginner · restorative · 3–8 minutes chesthip flexors Supported Child's Pose Sālamba Bālāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–10 minutes lower backglutes Supported Fish Pose Sālamba Matsyāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–10 minutes chestshoulders Supported Seated Forward Bend Sālamba Paścimottānāsana Beginner · forward bends · 3–5 minutes hamstringsspinal erectors Womb Pose Garbhāsana Beginner · restorative · 3–8 minutes each side lower backglutes

Questions

Which yoga poses work the winding down?

25 poses on this site do, 25 of them at beginner level. They are listed below, sorted from the most accessible upwards. Note what this page is: a filter over the library by the muscles a pose works, not a treatment plan.

Can yoga fix a problem here?

That is the wrong question for a web page to answer. Pain and injury have causes that need a person, not a list — a doctor or physiotherapist who can examine you. What this page can honestly offer is a set of poses that move the area in question, which is a reasonable thing to do for general wellbeing and a bad substitute for a diagnosis.

How often should I practise these?

Range and strength both respond to frequency far more than to duration. Three short sessions across a week move more than one long one, and ten minutes daily beats an hour on Sunday by a wide margin. Start with the beginner poses in the list and add the harder ones only when the easy ones have become uninteresting.

Asana names are traditional. Every step, benefit and caution on this page is written for YogaPath rather than reproduced from any book, studio or other library — see how this site is written. Energy figures derive from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. General information only — not medical advice. Some asanas are unsuitable during pregnancy, injury or specific conditions. Learn from a qualified teacher and stop if anything hurts.

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