Revolved Side Angle Pose

How to do the Revolved Side Angle Pose

1. 1Stand at the top of your mat with your feet together, then step your left foot back about 3–4 feet into a lunge, lowering your back knee toward the floor if needed to find stability.
2. 2Align your right knee directly over your right ankle, keeping your front shin vertical and your back leg extended or knee resting gently on the mat.
3. 3Place your hands together at your chest in a prayer position (Anjali Mudra) and take a tall breath in to lengthen your spine.
4. 4On an exhale, rotate your torso to the right, hooking your left elbow outside your right knee. Use this contact as leverage to deepen the twist without collapsing your chest.
5. 5Press your palms firmly together and use the resistance between your elbow and knee to open your chest upward, rotating your top shoulder back and your bottom shoulder forward.
6. 6Keep your hips as square to the front of the mat as possible — resist letting the back hip swing open as you twist.
7. 7Gaze upward toward the ceiling or keep your eyes level if that is more comfortable for your neck.
8. 8Hold the pose for 20–30 seconds, breathing steadily and deepening the rotation a little more with each exhale.
9. 9To release, unwind the twist on an inhale, return your hands to the mat, and step your back foot forward. Repeat on the opposite side, stepping the right foot back.

Form tips

• Anchor through the outer edge of your back foot and press your front foot firmly into the floor before initiating the twist — a stable base makes the rotation much safer and deeper.
• Lead the twist from your thoracic spine (mid-back), not just your neck or shoulders; imagine your ribcage rotating rather than only your head turning.
• Use your elbow-to-knee connection as a two-way push: press your elbow into your knee and your knee back into your elbow equally to create space in your spine.
• Keep your core lightly engaged throughout to protect your lower back and maintain balance in the rotated position.
• If your hips are tight, lower your back knee to the floor (Low Lunge variation) so you can focus on the rotation without fighting for balance.

Common mistakes

• Letting the front knee collapse inward or drift past the toes, which stresses the knee joint — keep the shin vertical and the knee tracking over the second toe.
• Rounding the upper back to force the twist deeper, which compresses the spine instead of rotating it — focus on length first, then rotation.
• Opening the back hip to the side to create the illusion of a deeper twist; this sacrifices hip alignment and reduces the stretch on the obliques and hip flexors.
• Holding the breath while twisting, which tightens the thorax and limits rotation — exhale to release into the pose and breathe steadily while holding it.
• Placing the elbow on the inside of the knee rather than the outside, which closes the chest instead of opening it and defeats the purpose of the twist.

Frequently asked questions