Pada Hastasana

Hand Under Foot Pose

pada = foot, hasta = hand

Written and reviewed by The Kriya Yogi · Updated 21 September 2026

A standing forward fold with the palms placed beneath the soles of the feet.

Family: Forward bends
Level: beginner
Lineage: modern
Works on: hamstrings · wrists · spine

The yogic view

A modern standing forward bend, paired with padangusthasana in twentieth-century sequences.

How to practise

Stand with the feet hip-width apart.
Fold forward from the hips, bending the knees as needed.
Lift each foot in turn and slide the palm beneath it, fingers pointing towards the toes.
Inhale to lengthen the spine; exhale to fold, drawing the chest towards the thighs.
Keep the weight slightly forward in the feet.
Hold five breaths, release the hands and roll up slowly.

For seated or floor-based work, use a clean, stable surface. Our natural cork yoga mat offers a grounded 5 mm surface for regular practice.

What research shows

Placing the hands under the feet adds a wrist and forearm stretch to the fold and gives a firmer anchor for lengthening the spine. The knees should bend as much as necessary — the palms coming fully under the feet matters less than the pelvis being free to tip. Anyone with wrist sensitivity is better served by padangusthasana.

Questions about Pada Hastasana

+ How long should you hold Pada Hastasana?

Five to ten slow breaths — about thirty to sixty seconds — works well for most practitioners, and one to two minutes if you are working specifically on range. Where the posture is one-sided, practise both sides for the same length of time. Let the breath decide: if it becomes short, held or noisy, you have stayed too long or gone too deep.

+ Is Pada Hastasana suitable for beginners?

Yes. Pada Hastasana is a beginner-level posture in the forward bends family, and it is a reasonable shape to learn early. Reduce the range, use a wall or a cushion where balance or height helps, and hold it for fewer breaths at first. Read the cautions below before you begin, since "beginner-friendly" is not the same as "suitable for everyone".

+ What are the modifications for Pada Hastasana?

Work with the shape rather than around it: reduce the range, shorten the lever by bending the nearest joint, and raise the floor toward you. Three adjustments apply to almost any posture: raise the hips on a folded blanket or cushion in seated work, bend the knees in anything that loads the back of the legs, and use a wall, chair or block to take weight and remove the fear of falling. A supported version practised often produces more change than a deep version practised rarely.

+ Who should avoid or modify Pada Hastasana?

For Pada Hastasana specifically: hamstring injury; wrist injury; lower back injury. More generally, modify or skip it if you have an acute injury or recent surgery in the area it loads, if you are pregnant and have not been given individual guidance, or if the shape produces sharp, pinching, radiating or electric sensation. Numbness, tingling or pain travelling down a limb is a nerve signal to stop and be assessed, not to breathe through. This page is educational and is not medical advice.

+ What should you practise before and after Pada Hastasana?

Prepare with Padangusthasana (Big Toe Pose), Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend). Release afterwards with Tadasana (Mountain Pose), Shavasana (Corpse Pose). Both lists are links on this page, and either can be shortened when time is limited — but do not skip preparation for a posture that loads a joint at end range.

+ What does Pada Hastasana mean in Sanskrit?

Pada Hastasana translates as hand under foot pose — pada = foot, hasta = hand The name follows Sanskrit convention, but the posture itself is modern and is not described in the classical texts.

Prepare with

Release with

Cautions

hamstring injury
wrist injury
lower back injury

More forward bends

Keep reading

Educational content, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting new practices if you have a health condition or are pregnant.