Camel · Ustrasana

Ustrasana · 우스트라사나 · 낙타 자세

Intermediate Series · Nadi Shodhana (Nerve Cleansing) — Backbend Sequence

Breath: 5 · Drishti (gaze): third eye

Kneeling with vertical thighs, arch from the chest and take the heels one hand at a time. The pelvis pressing forward keeps the bend in the upper spine and chest rather than the waist; the head releases back only if the neck stays easy.

Alignment

Hands — full palms on the heels, fingers pointing toward the toes
Feet — insteps down, shins pressing into the floor
Knees — hip-width, thighs staying vertical
Gaze — the third eye, the head back only as far as the neck stays easy

Entering the pose

Kneel hip-width apart
Hands to the waist, arch from the chest
One hand at a time to the heels, hips pressing forward

Common mistakes

Hinging from the lower back first
The pelvis drifting back, thighs tilting

Modifications & props

Tucking the toes to raise the heels brings the hands much closer — the most common first variation.
If the hands are still far, support the low back with both palms and lift the chest — a complete backbend in itself.
Sore knees ask for a blanket beneath them — and a block between them to check that they haven't drifted apart.

Benefits

Opens the thigh and hip fronts
The chest expands, widening the breath
Restores a front body shortened by desks

Role in the sequence

The first backbend to leave the floor and stand on the knees. Arching back over vertical thighs to catch the heels, the practitioner first learns descending backward against gravity — the opening chapter of the kneeling-backbend trilogy that continues through Laghu Vajrasana into Kapotasana. Letting the head and gaze travel back is also first practiced safely here.

Practice notes

Ustra means camel — likely from the profile of a chest rising in a hump over kneeling legs. More important than the shape is the strangeness of the direction: sending the body where the eyes cannot see is a matter of trust before flexibility, which is why this pose is considered the first classroom for backbend fear. It is also the door to Intermediate's backbend trilogy — Ustrasana, Laghu Vajrasana, Kapotasana.

In the flow you arrive kneeling through a vinyasa, inhale to prepare, exhale as the hands travel to the heels, five breaths, then inhale up through thigh strength alone. The quality of the pose lives in one distinction: the hands do not drop to the feet — they arrive while the chest keeps growing upward. The neck goes last, and only as far back as the throat stays easy.

After some months you feel that the protagonists here are the front thighs and the chest, not the lower back. A test from inside: nudge the hips gently toward the heels. If the thighs resist and stay vertical, the structure is right; if the hips slide easily, the lumbar was folding to do the work. On exiting, stay one breath tall on the knees — folding forward immediately invites dizziness.

Tuck the toes to raise the heels, or keep hands on the waist.

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