Reclining Thunderbolt · Supta Vajrasana
Supta Vajrasana · 숩타 바즈라사나 · 누운 벼락 자세
Intermediate Series · Nadi Shodhana (Nerve Cleansing) — Backbend Sequence
Breath: 5 · Drishti (gaze): third eye
In bound lotus, holding the toes behind the back, lower back and rise repeatedly while a partner anchors the knees. Lose the bind and the fall is real — which is why tradition gives this pose a partner, always.
Alignment
- Hands — crossed behind the back, never releasing the lotus toes
- Feet — the lotus insteps stay on the thighs
- Knees — remaining on the floor as only the torso reclines (traditionally an assistant holds them)
- Gaze — the third eye, the breath lengthening as you go back
Entering the pose
- Bound lotus, holding the feet
- A partner anchors the knees
- Exhale back, inhale up, three times
Common mistakes
- Solo attempts that lose the feet mid-descent
- Leading the descent with the neck
Modifications & props
- Practicing alone, weight the knees with sandbags or hook them under a sofa to stand in for the teacher's hands.
- Without the bind, arms folded across the chest, the reclining arc rehearses perfectly well.
- No lotus yet? Skip this one and repeat Ustrasana — a forced lotus backbend wagers the knees.
Benefits
- A bound-lotus backbend that opens the chest
- Asks deep suppleness of knees and ankles
- Control built on trust with a partner
Role in the sequence
The bound backbend that follows straight after Kapotasana's intensity. Bound in Baddha Padmasana, the body reclines and rises repeatedly — and since the rule is never releasing the feet, the backbend happens with chest and shoulders held open throughout. Traditionally practiced with a teacher pressing the knees, it is the period at the end of the backbend chapter and a breath-catcher before the balances to come.
Practice notes
Supta means reclining, vajra means thunderbolt. Sitting in lotus, you reach behind the back to catch the opposite feet, lie back to the crown of the head, and come up again. Traditionally it is learned with an assistant pinning the knees, so practising alone calls for a different approach.
The biggest problem on your own is that the lotus loosens. If the knees lift off the floor as you go back, the lotus slackens, and touching the crown from there loads the knees with rotation. On solo days it is safer to brace the knees at the base of a wall or under something heavy — or to drop the lotus altogether and cross the ankles instead.
The pose is also taught as five repetitions: inhale back, exhale up, five times. Moving down and up under control matters far more than touching the crown to the floor, and that control comes from the abdomen.
Two checks: is the grip still intact with the shoulders open, and as the head rolls toward the crown, are the arms sharing the weight? Any pain at all in the knees or the neck means this is not today's pose — skipping it does not break the sequence.
Without a partner, skip it.
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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