Explore the pose in detail
Membership gives you the large image, the full explanation, and available variants and videos.
See what is included →Practising with care
If you have an injury or a medical condition, take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have another circumstance that may affect your practice, consult a qualified healthcare professional about suitable activities and necessary adaptations.
Learn new and demanding poses with a qualified yoga teacher. Adapt the range to your body and stop if you feel pain or dizziness. A short video illustrates movement; its length does not prescribe how long to hold a pose.
Headstands, shoulder stands and lotus are not starting poses for beginners. Injuries, balance problems or glaucoma are examples of reasons to assess suitability individually. Do not force a bind or use the body as leverage against the knee.
The pose in context
The same name can denote different shapes. Kurmasana in Haṭhayogapradīpikā 1.22 is described with crossed heels beneath the body. That leg arrangement differs from the wide forward fold with the arms beneath the legs shown here. The older passage is therefore a historical comparison, rather than a description of this image. Kurmasana in Gheranda Samhita 2.33 likewise places the crossed heels beneath the body.
Sources for this page
- Svātmārāma: Haṭhayogapradīpikā, with the Jyotsnā and Manobhilāṣiṇī commentaries (1895)1.22, p. 16 · Wellcome Collection
- Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā — translation by Sris Chandra Vasu (1895)2.33, p. 15 · Wellcome Collection
Yoga forms and variations
These links compare teaching contexts and related shapes. Read the named form, supports and limits on this page before using a position.