Pasasana

The first posture of the modern Ashtanga intermediate series; the noose image is evocative but the posture itself is twentieth-century.

• Deepens ankle dorsiflexion and hip mobility through the closed squat position
• Trains thoracic rotation combined with a compressed, bound position
• Strengthens the muscles that hold a full squat, useful for both yoga and general mobility
• Massages and compresses the abdominal organs momentarily on each side, a traditional rather than medical claim
• Builds the shoulder mobility and patience needed for the binds found later in the Ashtanga intermediate series

1. Squat with the feet together and the heels on a folded mat if they lift.
2. Keep the knees together and the chest lifted.
3. Turn to the right, taking the left shoulder outside the right thigh.
4. Wrap the left arm around both shins and the right arm behind the back; clasp or hold a strap.
5. Turn the chest and look over the right shoulder last.
6. Hold five breaths and change sides.

• Letting the heels lift: signals insufficient ankle mobility and destabilises the twist. Fix: prop the heels on a folded mat rather than forcing them down.
• Forcing the bind before the twist is available: strains the shoulder and lower back. Fix: hold the shin or use a strap until the rotation genuinely allows the reach.
• Twisting from the neck first: the head turning before the ribcage gives a false sense of depth. Fix: rotate the chest first, then let the head follow.
• Letting the knees splay apart: loses the compression that gives the pose its structure. Fix: keep the knees and inner thighs hugging together throughout.

• Easier: stay in the squat and twist without attempting the arm bind, holding the shin instead
• Easier: sit on a rolled blanket under the heels to compensate for limited ankle mobility
• Harder: use a strap between the hands if the bind does not yet connect
• Harder: work toward clasping the hands fully without a strap, keeping the heels down throughout

The name pasa, meaning noose, points to the binding, compressing quality of the pose, traditionally described as squeezing and then releasing the internal organs and the breath as the body unwinds. A steady ujjayi breath is useful here, since the compressed ribcage and squat naturally shorten the breath, and keeping it long and audible helps prevent the twist from being rushed or forced.

Two things limit it: ankle dorsiflexion, which decides whether the heels can stay down, and thoracic rotation, which decides whether the bind is reachable. Raising the heels on a folded mat is the usual honest adjustment and does not diminish the posture. Forcing the bind before the rotation is available loads the lumbar spine and the shoulder rather than teaching the twist.