Eka Pada Koundinyasana (Sage Koundinya Pose): prep, steps and safety

How to do Sage Koundinya Pose step by step

1. Warm up your wrists, shoulders, hips and core, including a twist. Squat with your feet and knees together and bring your palms together at your chest.
2. Twist to the right and hook your left upper arm outside your right thigh (the twisted prayer squat).
3. Place both hands flat on the mat to the right of your feet, shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows back to about 90 degrees, as in Chaturanga, so your right hip rests on the shelf of your left upper arm.
4. Lean forward, shift your weight into your hands and lift both feet. This is Side Crow (Parsva Bakasana).
5. Straighten your right leg out to the side, over your left arm, pressing through the heel.
6. Extend your left leg straight back behind you, level with your hips. Keep your elbows hugging in, your chest forward and your gaze ahead. Stay for about 10 seconds (1–3 breaths).
7. Bend both knees back into Side Crow, lower your feet and rest in Child’s Pose. Repeat twisting to the left.

Where you feel Sage Koundinya Pose: what it stretches and strengthens

Twist, balance on bent arms and reach through both legs. In the 3D guide, turn on Body guide: areas that stretch glow green and areas that work glow saffron.

Benefits and precautions

Eka Pada Koundinyasana, the one-legged sage Koundinya pose, is an advanced arm balance with a twist. You balance on bent arms like Chaturanga, one hip resting on the back of the opposite upper arm, while one leg reaches out to the side and the other stretches straight back. It asks for strong arms and core, open hamstrings and a controlled twist. This page covers the prerequisites, how to do version I (shown by the 3D figure), how it differs from version II, and who should avoid it.

What is sage Koundinya pose?

The name has three parts: eka means "one", pada means "foot" or "leg", and Koundinya (also spelled Kaundinya) is the name of a sage, with asana meaning "pose". Several figures in Indian tradition carry that name, including a Vedic sage whose family line is still remembered and a monk counted among the Buddha's first disciples. The pose honours the sage rather than describing a shape.

Eka Pada Koundinyasana 1 and 2

• Eka Pada Koundinyasana I (Koundinyasana 1): a twisted balance. From Side Crow, the top leg extends out to the side and the other leg extends straight back. This is the version the 3D guide shows.
• Eka Pada Koundinyasana II (Koundinyasana 2): no twist. From a lunge, the front leg rests over the back of the same-side upper arm and extends forward and out, while the back leg extends straight back.

Some teachers call these Koundinyasana A and B. Neither is easier for everyone: version I needs a good twist, version II needs more open hamstrings.

Prerequisites: are you ready?

This is a level-4 pose. Try it only when you can already:

• Hold Side Crow for 15–20 seconds on each side.
• Lower slowly through Chaturanga with the elbows hugging in.
• Hold Crow Pose and Eka Pada Bakasana 1, the one-legged crow, with control.
• Twist deeply in a squat with your arm outside the opposite thigh.

Keep a cushion or folded blanket in front of your face. In Koundinyasana you are low to the floor, and falling forward is the usual accident.

Eka Pada Koundinyasana prep

• Twisted prayer squat: the prayer squat pose benefits here are direct. It trains the exact twist and arm hook you will need. Revolved Chair Pose is a good standing version.
• Chaturanga holds: hold the low position for a few breaths to build arm strength at 90 degrees.
• Side Crow on blocks: put a block under your feet so lift-off takes less effort.
• Hamstring stretches: Half Splits and forward bends help both legs straighten.

How to do Eka Pada Koundinyasana I: key points

The 3D guide twists to the right first, with the right leg reaching to the side and the left leg back. Along with the steps above:

• Build a shelf. The elbows point straight back and bend to about 90 degrees. The hip rests on the upper arm; the arms do not splay.
• Lean, do not jump. Shift your chest forward until the feet float. Your head moves forward as the legs lift.
• One leg at a time. Extend the side leg first, then the back leg.
• Active legs. Press through both heels and squeeze the thighs. Soft legs feel heavy and pull you down.
• Chest forward and level. Keep the shoulders at elbow height or higher and gaze a little ahead.

Eka Pada Koundinyasana benefits

The main benefits are strength and balance. Your arms, shoulders, chest and wrists carry the body at a hard angle, the core and obliques hold the twist, and the legs stay active and long. The hamstrings and the side of the waist get a stretch as the legs extend. Like other advanced balances, it trains patience and focus as much as muscle.

Is it a yoga pose for back pain?

No. It loads a twisted spine, so people with back problems should avoid it. Choose gentle poses for yoga for back pain from our back pain plan and ask a physiotherapist.

Eka Pada Koundinyasana variations and similar poses

• vs Side Crow: Side Crow keeps both knees bent and stacked; Koundinyasana straightens the legs, which makes the balance harder.
• vs Dwi Pada Koundinyasana: both legs stack and extend to the side instead of one going back.
• vs Eka Pada Bakasana 2: one-legged crow II also sends one leg forward over its arm, but with the other knee tucked on its arm instead of straight back.

This page is for general education. Check with your doctor before starting yoga if you are pregnant, have a medical condition or an injury. Stop if you feel pain, dizziness or shortness of breath.