Want to get more bendy and feel less tense? Try Butterfly Pose. It’s a simple yoga move that stretches your thighs, hips, and back. Both yoga new folks and old hands will find it useful.
Many have tight hips and sore backs. Sitting for long can make you stiff. It eases tension and boosts blood flow.
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ToggleIf you want a simple and good yoga pose, pick this one. Here, we’ll show you how to do the pose, its perks, changes, and tips to stay safe.
Keep reading to find out more!
What is Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)?
Baddha Konasana is also called the Butterfly Pose, a seated yoga posture that is used to direct weight to the pelvis.
It begins with bringing your feet together and letting your knees fall at the edges of your yoga mat.
Relax from your head to your toes and sink into that gentle rotation of your hip flexors. The hip and groin areas are awakened and made alive.
How to Prepare for Butterfly Pose?
Now let’s explore some points which can help you to prepare for this pose.
1. Understanding the Butterfly Pose
Butterfly Pose or Baddha Konasana is a sitting position in yoga that specifically targets the hips, inner thighs, and lower back.
2. Preparing Your Body with Warm-Ups
Before trying out the pose, the most important thing is to prepare the body properly to avoid straining it.
3. Adjusting Your Posture for Comfort
Accurate flexibility is the key factor while doing the exercise. When the head, shoulders, and chest are placed forward, hips and thighs get used properly.
4. Using Props and Modifications
If you lack flexibility, you can take the help of supportive objects like yoga blocks or cushions that would make the pose more achievable.
Warm-Up Exercises for Butterfly Pose
Besides, when you decide to start Butterfly Pose, begin with these straightforward exercises to get your body ready:
- Leg Stretches: Force your legs to the floor and flex the toes.
- Hip Circles: Rotate the hips to stretch the muscles with a little tension.
- Cat-Cow Pose: Flex your spine to make it more flexible.
- Seated Forward Bend: Do the poses that are helping your hamstrings and lower back get into the right state of stretching.
How to Perform Butterfly Pose?

- Sit down facing your legs with them straight and stretched in front of you.
- Slide your soles to touch and then stick them near your body.
- Let your knees sink on their own to the sides.
- The back should stay straight and the arms should hang relaxed.
- Hold the soles of your feet in your hands.
- Inhale deeply and while exhaling press your knees gently downwards.
- Stay in the original position from thirty seconds up to one minute.
Here’s a video that explains this yoga pose in more detail.
Benefits of Butterfly Pose
Mental Benefits
- Eases stress and anxiety.
- Enhances concentration and relaxation.
- Fosters mindfulness and inner peace.
Physical Benefits
- Boosts hip and groin flexibility.
- Fortifies the lower back and the legs.
- Corrects posture and makes circulation better.
- Takes away menstrual cramping.
Beginners Tips
- To support your body you can use yoga blocks if you can’t reach the floor with your knees.
- Put a blanket under your rear end for better alignment.
- Adopt slow and soft movements.
- Place your foot down on the floor instead of pushing it onto your knee.
- Inhale deeply to ease your muscles.
Variations and Modifications
1. Seated Butterfly with Props
Previously, for semi-inflexible people, the usage of blocks or pillows under the knees or buttocks worked miracles as it released unnecessary pain and also provided a better and supported posture.
2. Bound Angle Pose with Forward Fold
If you want to stretch your legs and hips even more, then you just gently bow in the Butterfly Pose.
It further stretches the hips and the lower back while it is still an active relaxation of the mind.
3. Supported Butterfly Pose
Furthermore, those individuals who are looking for more assistance can lie on the floor with a bolster or cushion under their lower back as the feet are kept together in the Butterfly Pose.
With the hips and chest being softly catered this method infinitesimally intensifies the target.
4. Standing Butterfly Pose
The modification of a standing variation in which the feet are placed together and the legs are bent and the spine is extended.
By using it, the muscle groups involved increase flexibility, and the vestibular system is strengthened.
Expert Tips
- Hold back straight to avoid some strain.
- Let your shoulders and neck down.
- Wait until the last moment to get into the pose; do not rush.
- Relax to the extent of deep respiration and muscle relaxation.
- You should be regular to make good progress.
Safety Precautions
- If your back is not straight because it is not round yet, you are not doing it correctly.
- Pushing the knees downward too forcefully can be harmful.
- Rather than holding your breath, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
- Do not use `scratch` on a hard surface without a mat.
- Alternatively not doing some warm-up exercises before starting.
Conclusion
Baddha-Konasana is a user-friendly yoga position with enormous strength that is suitable for everyone. Yoga is the key to everything. It allows for increased flexibility and relaxation, reducing stress and improving posture.
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned practitioner, you can get numerous benefits from this one pose. Regulate your practice and keep in mind the safety tips for the best outcomes.
FAQs
Is Butterfly Pose achievable for novices?
Yes, it is and you can also adjust it easily.
How long should I hold the pose?
One should start with 30 seconds and then try to stay for 1-2 minutes.
Can Butterfly Pose help my back pain?
Yes, it is beneficial to the lower back as well as to the proper alignment.
Would it endanger the fetus if I were to do it during pregnancy?
Yes, but you should ask a doctor to give you some safety tips.
How many times a day should I do Butterfly Pose?
Regular practice of Butterfly Pose will help you get rid of the stiffness and get good relaxation.
Source:
Cronkleton, E. (2021, September 9). Butterfly Pose: 6 Benefits of this classic hip opener. Healthline.
EkhartYoga. (2020, November 6). Butterfly pose – Ekhart Yoga.
Yogshala, R. (2025, January 2). 4 Amazing Benefits of Butterfly Yoga: Boost Health with Yoga. Rishikul Yogshala Rishikesh.
Book Source:
Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar
The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice by T.K.V. Desikachar