Yoga Anatomy

Astavakrasana

Eight-Angle Pose

AHSH-tak-vah-KRAHS-anna

ashta = eight; vakra = crooked, curved, bent

Astavakra was a very learned sage whose mother attended Vedic chanting classes while
pregnant. While he was in his mother’s womb, he winced at eight of his father’s mispro-
nunciations of Vedic prayers, and was thus born with eight bends in his body.

E5267/Kaminoff/fig11.7/417800/alw/pulled-r2

Adductors

Triceps

brachii

Pectoralis major

Classifi cation

Asymmetrical twisting arm support pose

Skeletal joint actions

Spine Upper limbs Lower limbs

Cervical extension, rotationScapular abduction, shoulder

fl exion and adduction,

elbow fl exion moving

toward extension, forearm

pronation, wrist dorsifl ex-

ion

Hip fl exion and adduction,

knee extension, ankle dor-

sifl exion, foot eversion