16 Must Know Seated Yoga Poses: Grounding Asanas

There are thousands of messages we have to process every day without even being aware of them. Our world has many focuses and agendas that govern it, from our own day-to-day priorities to what we view on our technological devices to what we see in the media; sometimes, it’s important to remember to remain connected to the self and to what’s around us.

Luckily, yoga poses to help encourage us to stay grounded and help us feel at peace and return to our center. So, when experiencing fatigue or need to reduce stress, take a long at some of these poses to help.

16 Seated Yoga Poses: Grounding Asanas

Balasana – Child’s Pose

1. On the floor, keep toes touching while sitting back onto heels, separate the knees about the same width as the hips.
2. Take deep exhales and lay torso down between the thighs while feeling the extension towards the tailbone away from the back and lifting the skull away from the neck’s base.
3. Rest the hands on the ground with palms up, releasing the shoulders down towards the floor. Feel the body’s weight fall within the shoulders and the back.
4. Stay in pose up to a few minutes to optimize the stretch.

Agnistambhasana – Fire Log Pose

1. While seated, place the left foot over the right kneecap and slide the right foot until it is below the left kneecap. If you experience pain in this move, please stop the pose.
2. Within an inhalation press the body to the ground and drop the shoulder pressing the chest forward. Do not lock the knees; allow them to relax towards the ground to increase the flexibility of the hips.
3. Maintain a flat and erect back with a wide chest, exhale and extend the torso forward holding onto the knees. To extend the stretch and to increase flexibility tries to reach the crown of the head to gently touch the ground.
4. Breathe and hold the pose. Inhale to return back to starting position and alternate sides.

Mandukasana – Vertical Frog Pose

1. Step feet shoulder-width apart and bring heels outward.
2. Bend at the knees and bring hips low. Place the hands at the chest, press the elbows towards the legs, and feel the neck’s extension towards the tailbone.
3. Stay in the pose for up to 1-2 minutes—pace breathing.

Kapotasana – Pigeon Pose

1. Bend the right knee and bring the leg forward, almost as if you were moving to enter a lunge, getting the right knee to the ground on the outside of the right hand and angle the left to become parallel to the front of the mat or occupy the space in front of you (depending on flexibility).
2. Release the left knee towards the ground, keeping the leg flat. Take a gaze backward, making sure that the left foot is pointing straight.
3. Taking note of the hips, ensure that they remain square to the mat or floor. With padding (i.e., a blanket or towel), slide under the right side of the hip, bringing the torso down to fall forward over the right leg.
4. Distribute weight on both sides, continuing to watch your breath and body for any tightness or discomfort.
5. Bring the body back up by curling the toes under and stepping back into the Downward Facing Dog pose. Repeat posture on the other side.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana – Bridge Pose

1. Lie on the back and have knees bent and feet stationary on the floor. Extending the arms along the floor, keep palms facing the ground.
2. With feet firm, exhale, lifting the hips upward. Do not squeeze the glutes or flex the buttocks’ muscles, but instead feel the tailbone’s extension through to the pubic bones.
3. Roll the shoulders backward underneath the body, clasp hands together, straightening the arms by pressing the forearms into one another. Reach knuckles towards the heels.
4. Keep thighs and feet parallel, try to not roll towards the outer edges of the feet—distribute weight on both sides. Lengthen the tailbone and feel the stretch towards the back of the legs.
5. Try holding for up to one minute. Releasing hands and placing the palms down alongside the body and exhaling, bring your self up towards an erect spine and to the floor, dropping knees together.

Skandasana- Side Lunge Pose

1. Move for legs to be wider than shoulder-width apart and bend the left knee into a half-squat. Move the left knee outward to the edge of the ankle.
2. Keep the right leg long and flex the right foot, so the toes move upwards off the floor, resting the weight onto the right heel.
3. Repeat on the right side, and alternate up to 4-6 times.

Savasana- Corpse Pose

1. Have the body placed within a neutral position. Sitting on the floor, move the legs to bend the knees, and feet firm leaning back towards the forearms. Lift the pelvis into the hands and push the pelvis back towards the tailbone, returning to the floor. Within an inhalation, extend the right leg, moving through the heels, and then the left.
2. Releasing both legs, soften the groin area, and see that the legs are balanced. Narrow the front of the pelvis and lessen the strain that may be in the lower back.
3. Lifting the skull base upwards, creating space from the base of the neck, and releasing back towards the neck and tailbone. Extend the base of the skull, lift from the base of the neck. Create a deep and even stretch.
4. Reaching the arms upwards, rock the body from side to side, extending the back and ribs. Releasing arms to the floor, angle evenly. Turn arms outwards, resting the back of the hands on the floor.
5. An essential component to Savasana is to bring silence to mind and body, rest for up to five minutes in this pose.

Upavistha Konasana – Seated Angle Pose

1. While seated spread the legs as wide apart as it is comfortable keeping the knees facing upward.
2. Take a deep inhalation in raising the arms towards the ceiling and when exhaling out falling forward to reach the arms up in front of the body, lowering the hands to be flat onto the floor.
3. Keep fingertips extending, to deepen the stretch and hold for up to 10 breaths.
4. To exit the pose, inhale and return the arms back overhead and within an exhalation return arms back to the sides of the torso.

Sukhasana – Easy Pose

1. Enter a seated position with crossed legs, placing the feet beneath the knees. Rest hand on knees with the palms facing either direction that is comfortable.
2. Press the hips firmly onto the ground reaching to elongate the spine, dropping the shoulders down and pressing the chest forward.
3. Relax the muscles of the jaw and loosen the tongue by pressing it as the roof of the mouth.
4. Continue to breathe through the nose and feel the stomach expand. Hold the pose for as long as one desires.

Padmasana – Lotus Pose

1. Sitting on the floor with legs out straight. Bend knees to bring the lower leg up, rocking the body to experience the full range of motion within the hips.
2. Bend the left knee turning the leg outward. Bring the right knee close to the body’s midline as possible, pressing the right foot into the left of the abdomen.
3. Leaning the body back, rest hands onto the knees with palms facing upwards. Hold for up to one minute.
4. Release the pose slowly by gently extending the legs out away from the body. Repeat the pose for the same duration of time with the alternative leg on top.

Malasana – Garland Pose

1. Begin this pose by starting in Tadasana, or the Mountain pose. Keep the feet apart at width distance, pointing the toes outward and turning the heels inward.
2. Create a slight bend in the knees, almost as if to enter a squat position and drop the hips below knees. Keep knees and toes facing the same direction to help support the weight on the joints.
3. If able, try to maintain the heels on the ground, if it causes too much strain, try rolling a towel or blanket to place beneath the heels for added comfort and support.
4. Tilt the chest and maneuver the torso to fall between the legs while placing the hands together at the center of the chest. Press the outer arms against the inner part of the legs and feel the extension through the spine.
5. Maintain the pose for as long as it is comfortable. To exit the pose, return the legs to be straight in front of the body and come up to a standing position.

Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward Facing Dog

1. Position the body onto the hands and knees. Place knees below the hips and angle the hands forward, spreading the palms and fingers outward.
2. Keeping toes under, takes a deep breath out to lift the knees off the floor. At first, maintain a slight bend and keep the heels lifted off the ground and lengthen the tailbone. Lift the rear upwards.
3. Push the thighs back into the heels and take a large exhale. Be sure not to have the knees lock straightening the knees, but to firm the outer thighs and keeping them turned inward.
4. Firm the extremities, keep the head between the arms and be mindful of not letting the head hang. Extend the stretch towards the back and tailbone. Stay within pose for as long as possible, anywhere from 1-2 minutes. Then return the knees towards the floor and transition into a child’s pose.

Marjaiasana-Bitilasana –  Seated Cat-Cow Pose

1. For seated Cat-Cow pose, sit with legs crossed, resting the hands on the knees while keeping the spine erect.
2. Inhale, while lifting the chest, bring the gaze upward. Within an exhale, bring a slight curve towards the spine, dropping the head downwards. Draw the abs in towards the center of the body.
3. Repeat up to ten times – inhaling to open the chest and within the exhale to curve the back and feel the muscles within the abdomen.

Simhasana – Lion Pose

1. While seated with hips on the heels and palms resting on knees, inhale and lengthen to feel a stretch down the spine. Exhale and extend the palm of the hands onto the floor in front of the body and arch the spine.
2. Loosen the tongue and stick out of the mouth imitating a roar.
3. Within an inhalation, start at the beginning of the posture and repeat up to 5 times.

Virasana – Hero Pose

1. With knees together on the floor, bring the feet hips-width apart sitting back onto heels. Rest hands on the knees.
2. Press legs firmly towards the ground and keep the spine erect to elongate the stretch down the back. Dropping the shoulders back and pressing the chest forward.
3. Ease any tension in the jaw and abdomen and breath deeply through the nose. Focus on breathing and hold as long as it is comfortable.

Anjaneyasana – Low Lunge Pose

1. Within an exhalation, step the right foot towards the hands. Lowering the left knee downward and keeping the right knee fixed in place. Slide the left back until achieving the full stretch from the pelvis down towards the thigh.
2. Inhale and lift the torso up—sweeping arms to the sides and keeping them at shoulder height. Draw the tailbone downward, raising the pubic bone inward.
3. Tilt the head back toward the ceiling, hold for up to a minute, with a paced breath. Repeat on the alternative side.

These poses can help you reduce stress and fatigue no matter what level you’re starting at. Try one and see which makes the most difference and helps to feel stable and grounded.