Sage Durvasa · Durvasasana
Durvasasana · 두르바사사나 · 현자 두르바사 자세
Advanced Series · Sthira Bhaga (Strength & Grace) — From Advanced A (Third Series)
Breath: 5 · Drishti (gaze): forward
From eka pada sirsasana, with the leg set behind the neck, plant the hands and rise slowly to stand on the other leg, palms joining. Far away even after the seated bind is easy — the sum of balance, strength, and hip rotation.
Alignment
- Hands — palms joined at the chest, lifting the torso upright
- Feet — the hooked foot pointed; the standing foot gripping the floor
- Knees — the standing leg straightening as the back rises
- Gaze — the nose tip, one unhurried breath at a time
Entering the pose
- Set the leg from eka pada sirsasana
- Plant the hands, rise slowly on the other leg
- Join the palms, lengthen the spine
Common mistakes
- The leg choking the breath at the throat
- The knee twisting on the way up
Modifications & props
- This pose comes after seated Eka Pada Sirsasana is comfortable on both sides — do not audition the stand before then.
- Practice the rise beside a wall, one hand on it — what is being trained is not balance but extending while keeping the leg.
- Short of standing fully, a half-risen torso with fingertips on the floor is a valid intermediate form.
Benefits
- Standing up inside a leg bind — extreme coordination
- Strength to sustain maximal hip rotation
- A test of the Advanced series' balance
Role in the sequence
Standing up on both... one leg, with the other hooked behind the neck — among the most emblematic shapes of Advanced A. It is Intermediate's Eka Pada Sirsasana raised against gravity, and its double assignment — spine extending vertical while the leg stays hooked — is the crux. Named for the famously short-tempered sage Durvasas, it is a byword for a pose where impatience gets nothing.
Practice notes
Durvasa is the sage famous for his temper. With one leg hooked behind the neck you stand up and balance — Eka Pada Sirsasana moved from the floor to standing. The hip opening built in the Intermediate Series is what gets examined here.
The moment of standing is the whole pose. Hook the leg while seated, plant the other foot firmly, and press the hands into the floor to rise; if the torso goes forward as you do, the leg slips off the neck. Keeping the chest lifted while the pelvis travels forward is the order that keeps the leg where it belongs.
Practising alone, standing with your back to a wall is the safe method. With the fear of falling backwards removed you can concentrate on lifting the chest, and that is the pose's only real technique. Even if standing never happens, holding the balance in the squat is genuine practice.
Two checks: is the leg pressing the neck forward, and is the standing knee unlocked and alive? Take the leg down the instant the neck feels compressed — compression while standing is more dangerous than the same thing on the floor.
Distant even after the seated version is easy.
Written by Choi Seongjin — 20 years of Ashtanga practice, currently teaching three classes a week. Last updated: .
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
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