Shoulder-Pressing Pose · Bhujapidasana

Bhujapidasana · 부자피다사나 · 어깨 압박 자세

Primary Series · Yoga Chikitsa (Yoga Therapy) — Seated Sequence

Breath: 5 · Drishti (gaze): nose tip

Squat, hook the thighs high on the upper arms, shift the weight into the hands, and cross the ankles off the floor — the first arm balance. The full form draws the feet back and lowers the chin toward the floor before lifting again — wrists and shoulders meeting core and open hips.

Alignment

Hands — planted shoulder-width, fingers spread wide to share the weight
Feet — crossed at the ankles and lifted, traveling toward the chin in the full pose
Knees — thighs perched as high on the upper arms as possible, near the shoulders
Gaze — the nose tip, then slowly forward once the balance settles

Entering the pose

Squat, hands flat behind the feet
Hook the thighs high on the arms
Shift weight to the hands, cross the ankles

Common mistakes

Thighs hooked too low and slipping
Dropping the head into a forward roll

Modifications & props

The whole practice is shifting weight into the hands with the toes still down — floating is a result, not a goal.
For tender wrists, spread the fingers wide and grip the floor with the knuckles to scatter the load.
A block under the hips at the start gives you somewhere to fall — and that reassurance alone softens the shoulders.

Benefits

Builds weight-bearing wrists, arms, shoulders
Unites core strength with hip flexibility
Grows the confidence of carrying your own weight

Role in the sequence

The first arm balance Primary offers. The bandha work of Navasana and the hip opening of all the folds so far combine here into a new craft: resting the body on the hands. Its entry and exit — feet wrapped, chin lowered, then lifted again to leave — extend directly into Kurmasana and, later, Tittibhasana.

Practice notes

Bhuja (arm or shoulder) and pida (pressure): the pose made by pressing the shoulders. The name already gives away the technique — you are not resting legs on arms so much as gripping the arms with the legs. The harder the thighs squeeze the upper arms, the lighter the body becomes.

The entry begins from a jump. Inhale to plant the hands and bring the legs around behind the shoulders, then exhale, sit the weight back, and cross the ankles. Most people topple forward here, and the cause is not arm strength but centre of gravity: the hips must travel far enough behind the wrists for the body to float. After five breaths the chin or the crown touches the floor and you come back up.

Progress over months shows up as how high the legs climb. At first the knees catch near the elbows; later the thighs reach the armpits. Until then, not crossing the ankles is perfectly fine. Two checks: are the fingers spread wide and gripping the floor, and are the shoulders staying behind the wrists with the elbows softly bent rather than collapsing forward?

The feet don't need to lift yet; learn to load the hands.

Written by Choi Seongjin — 20 years of Ashtanga practice, currently teaching three classes a week. Last updated: 2026-09-05.

This guide is for general information and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant, injured, or have a medical condition, consult a qualified teacher or physician before practising. Disclaimer & Legal Notice

Other poses in this sequence

Ashtanga Shala — Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga guide · Blog