Sankatasana

Difficult Pose

sankata = difficult, contracted

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

A squatting balance with one leg wrapped around the other, described among the Gheranda Samhita postures.

Family: Balance
Level: advanced
Lineage: classical — GS ch.2
Works on: ankles · knees · balance

The yogic view

Sankatasana is named in the Gheranda Samhita, which describes the left leg placed on the ground with the right wrapped around it. The name is candid about the experience. As with the other classical seats, the purpose is stability held over time rather than the shape for its own sake.

How to practise

Stand and wrap the right leg around the left, as in garudasana.
Rest a hand on a wall or chair for balance.
Bend the standing knee and lower slowly towards a squat.
Keep the chest lifted and the standing heel down as long as possible.
Bring the palms together at the chest when the balance is steady.
Hold three to five breaths, rise slowly, and change sides.

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

Balancing on one foot while the other leg wraps asks a great deal of ankle stability and knee tolerance at once, which is why holding a wall is sensible and not a compromise. The deep knee flexion of the standing leg loads the joint significantly, so anyone with knee history should work garudasana standing upright instead.

Questions about Sankatasana

+ How long should you hold Sankatasana?

Hold Sankatasana for five to eight slow breaths, which is roughly thirty to forty-five seconds, and repeat once or twice if you want more from it. 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 Sankatasana suitable for beginners?

No — Sankatasana is an advanced balance posture. It asks for strength, range and control that take a long time to build, and it is much better learned with in-person guidance than from a page. Work through the preparatory postures listed below first, and treat the full shape as a long-term project rather than a goal for this month.

+ What are the modifications for Sankatasana?

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 Sankatasana?

For Sankatasana specifically: knee injury; ankle 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 Sankatasana?

Prepare with Garudasana (Eagle Pose), Malasana (Garland Pose (Yogi Squat)). Release afterwards with Dandasana (Staff 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 Sankatasana mean in Sanskrit?

Sankatasana translates as difficult pose — sankata = difficult, contracted The posture is named in the classical literature — GS ch.2 — rather than being a modern addition.

Prepare with

Release with

Cautions

knee injury
ankle injury

More balance

Keep reading

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