Noose Pose · Pasasana
Pasasana · 파사사나 · 올가미 자세
Intermediate Series · Nadi Shodhana (Nerve Cleansing) — Twists & Folds
Breath: 5 · Drishti (gaze): side
Squat with the feet together, heels pressing down, twist, and lasso both knees with the arms to clasp behind. Deep ankle flexion, spinal twist, and shoulder bind stack in one shape — Intermediate's gate, tightening a little with every exhale.
Alignment
- Hands — the arm wraps outside both knees, hands clasping behind the back
- Feet — together, heels working all the way to the floor (a rolled blanket helps)
- Knees — glued together, resisting the pull of the twist
- Gaze — over the wrapping shoulder
Entering the pose
- Squat with the feet together
- Exhale, take the elbow outside both knees
- Wrap the legs, clasp behind
Common mistakes
- Heels lifting, tipping forward
- Knees splitting apart, the twist leaking away
Modifications & props
- A rolled blanket under the heels is a prop even finishers keep for years — not a stage to be embarrassed by.
- Before the bind, drill the rotation alone with a palms-joined twist, elbow hooked outside the knees — the same grammar as Parivrtta Parsvakonasana.
- Squatting to face a wall, knees touching it, lets the wall catch the forward spill.
Benefits
- Combines deep ankle-knee flexion with a full spinal twist
- Strongly wrings the organs, stirring circulation
- Opens the binding needed throughout Intermediate
Role in the sequence
The first pose of the Intermediate series (nadi shodhana) and the gatekeeper at its entrance. Three skills learned separately in Primary — Marichyasana's bind, the Parivrtta family's rotation, Utkatasana's deep squat — are compressed into one shape, testing in the very first pose whether Primary has truly been digested. Past this gate, the series enters its long climb of backbends.
Practice notes
Pasa means noose. A body squatting low with an arm wrapped around it resembles one, and the Intermediate Series opens with this pose. It teaches humility from the first day even to bodies with years of Primary behind them, because ankles, hips, thoracic spine and shoulders all have to open at the same time for the shape to exist at all.
The most common wall is the heels. If they will not reach the floor in a squat, the body falls backwards, and balancing on the toes to avoid that leaves no margin for rotating. The answer is to raise the floor with a folded mat or a wedge under the heels, and this is a prop you may use for years rather than months.
The bind has its own order. Bring both knees together and pointed one way, take the opposite armpit deep past the outer thigh, then inhale to lengthen the spine and exhale to rotate. Hunting for the hand first only twists the shoulder while the spine stays where it was.
Two checks: are both heels supported at the same height, and is the rotation happening in the thoracic spine rather than the lower back? Keeping the knees pressed together for all five breaths is the detail most easily forgotten.
Blanket under the heels; hook the elbow before chasing the bind.
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
Other poses in this sequence
Ashtanga Shala — Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga guide · Blog
Policies