Yoga Anatomy

Notes

This pose can be very intense or of great ease. With the arms and legs bound, little work
is needed to maintain the position if enough range of motion exists in all the joints of the
body to enter the pose. If the action is not distributed through all the joints, this pose has
the potential for directing too much force into the spine, the SI joints, and, with the arms
bound in this position, the fronts of the shoulder joints. The rotator cuff (especially the
subscapularis) is working to both internally rotate the humerus and protect the joint from
protraction.
The more freedom there is in the scapulae gliding on the rib cage, the less force is directed
into the glenohumeral joints and their capsules. Using the latissimus dorsi to help internally
rotate and extend the arms interferes with the flexion of the spine, because the latissimus
dorsi are also spinal extensors.
The bound position of the legs behind the skull and cervical spine creates potential stress
in this area, too, either overstretching the back of the neck or overworking the muscles
against the push of the legs.
If there isn’t enough mobility in the rest of the spine, the cervical spine can be overflexed
to get the legs in position. This should be avoided.

Breathing

Once locked into this bound pose, the abdominal muscles don’t have much to do, so they
can be released for belly breaths. This is actually advisable, because excessive thoracic action
during trunk flexion can stress an already vulnerable neck.

Kurmasana Variation

Supta Kurmasana

Reclining Turtle Pose

supta = reclining; kurma = tortoise, turtle

E5267/Kaminoff/fig7.18/417692/alw/pulled-r1

Joint capsules are shaded in blue.