Compass Pose

How to do it

1. Sit with your left leg folded comfortably in front of you and your right knee bent toward your chest.
2. Lift your right thigh over your right upper arm, as close to your shoulder as comfortable.
3. Place your right palm on the mat beside your right hip.
4. Grasp the outside of your right foot with your left hand.
5. Extend your right leg upward beside your head, with your left elbow overhead and your chest facing forward beneath your left arm.
6. Hold this position at a comfortable stretch.
7. Bend your right knee back toward your chest.
8. Lower your right leg from your shoulder to the mat.

Safety

Pulling hard on the foot can strain the hamstrings or shoulder and twist the raised knee. The long lever of the lifted leg makes forcing your range especially risky.

• Warm up with gentle hip movements and easier hamstring stretches before attempting the pose.
• Use a strap around the raised foot if reaching it draws your shoulder into an uncomfortable position.
• Come out of the pose if you feel sharp pain, pinching, tingling, or numbness.

Choose a gentler version or seek advice from a physiotherapist if you have an existing hamstring, hip, knee, back, or shoulder problem.

Sets and reps

Sets

1–2

Target

10–20 seconds per side

Rest

No rest timer

Repeat on the opposite side, using a range you can hold without straining.

Variations