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Forward bends poses

Poses that fold the torso towards the legs, lengthening the whole back line of the body.

Beginner forward bends 9

Learnable in a first class, with a version that works for most bodies.

Seated Forward Bend● Paścimottānāsana Beginner · forward bends · 1–3 minutes Bound Angle Forward Fold Uttāna Baddha Koṇāsana Beginner · forward bends · 1–3 minutes Cross-Legged Forward Fold Adho Mukha Sukhāsana Beginner · forward bends · 1–2 minutes each side Downward-Facing Hero Pose Adho Mukha Vīrāsana Beginner · forward bends · 1–3 minutes Half Standing Forward Bend Ardha Uttānāsana Beginner · forward bends · 15–30 seconds Head-to-Knee Pose Jānu Śīrṣāsana Beginner · forward bends · 1–2 minutes each side Standing Forward Bend Uttānāsana Beginner · forward bends · 45–90 seconds Supported Seated Forward Bend Sālamba Paścimottānāsana Beginner · forward bends · 3–5 minutes Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend Prasārita Pādottānāsana Beginner · forward bends · 45–90 seconds

Intermediate forward bends 9

Assume a working base of strength and range, and a teacher who has watched you move.

Big Toe Pose Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana Intermediate · forward bends · 45–90 seconds Hand Under Foot Pose Pādahastāsana Intermediate · forward bends · 45–90 seconds Heron Pose Krauñcāsana Intermediate · forward bends · 30–60 seconds each side Intense Side Stretch Pose Pārśvottānāsana Intermediate · forward bends · 45–90 seconds Rabbit Pose Śaśāṅgāsana Intermediate · forward bends · 15–30 seconds Seated Wide-Legged Forward Fold Upaviṣṭha Koṇāsana A Intermediate · forward bends · 1–3 minutes Side Wide-Angle Seated Fold Pārśva Upaviṣṭha Koṇāsana Intermediate · forward bends · 45–90 seconds each side Spread-Leg Seated Forward Fold Pāda Prasāra Paścimottānāsana Intermediate · forward bends · 45–90 seconds each side Three-Limbed Forward Bend Triaṅga Mukhaikapāda Paścimottānāsana Intermediate · forward bends · 45–90 seconds each side

Advanced forward bends 4

Long-practice poses. The risk is rarely the shape itself — it is arriving at it years early.

Half Bound Lotus Forward Bend Ardha Baddha Padma Paścimottānāsana Advanced · forward bends · 30–60 seconds each side Sleeping Tortoise Pose Supta Kūrmāsana Advanced · forward bends · 20–45 seconds Tortoise Pose Kūrmāsana Advanced · forward bends · 30–60 seconds Upward-Facing Forward Bend Ūrdhva Mukha Paścimottānāsana Advanced · forward bends · 20–40 seconds

Asked before class

What are forward bends in yoga?

Poses that fold the torso towards the legs, lengthening the whole back line of the body. YogaPath lists 22 of them, from Bound Angle Forward Fold through to Upward-Facing Forward Bend.

Which forward bends should a beginner start with?

The 9 poses in this family marked beginner: Bound Angle Forward Fold, Cross-Legged Forward Fold, Downward-Facing Hero Pose, Half Standing Forward Bend, Head-to-Knee Pose and others. Each has a version that works for most bodies, and each page lists who should skip it.

Are forward bends safe for everyone?

No family of poses is. Each page in this group lists its own contraindications — pregnancy, blood pressure, glaucoma, and neck, knee, shoulder or wrist injury all rule out specific poses. Read the cautions on the individual page, ask your doctor if a condition applies to you, and learn the poses with a qualified teacher.

Other families

Standing 18Seated 29Backbends 43Twists 25Inversions 20Balance 31Restorative 21

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 and what it is written from. 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.

SOURCE·Published asana references·asana names, alignment and cautions as taught·REVIEWED JUL 2026

The people behind these sites

Follow the build

This site and nine others like it are built and photographed by two people: Amit Sharma — behind the build; Geeta Patel — the poses, demonstrated. New work goes up on Instagram and Facebook before it reaches a page here.

Amit Sharma @amitsharmaofficial Instagram Geeta Patel @geetapatelnz Instagram Geeta Patel GeetaPatelYoga Facebook

Following changes nothing here — every page stays open, with no account and no wall.

MoveLab

The gym-equipment counterpart to the same movement pattern.

DATA · JUL 2026 GymFinder

Gyms in 200+ Indian cities with researched fee ranges and no paid placement.

DATA · JUL 2026 SehatCheck

The same numbers read against the Asian-Indian cutoffs instead of the Western bands.

DATA · JUL 2026 DietPlanIndia

A day-by-day plan that totals its own numbers instead of asking you to.

DATA · JUL 2026 ThaliFacts

Indian food counted per roti and per katori, not per anonymous 100 grams.

DATA · JUL 2026 RunIndia

The pace maths behind a finish time you can actually hold.

DATA · JUL 2026 FuelFacts

The same foods, counted going in — 1,799 of them, straight from the USDA tables.

DATA · JUL 2026 amit.marketing

Who builds these, and why every figure on them is sourced and dated.

THE STUDIO

See all 10 sites in this family, with what each one answers

Published by

Amit Sharma

Auckland real-estate agent and marketer. Builds free, sourced data tools.

Follow the work