Butterfly Pose or Baddha Konasana, is very easy to perform yoga pose for every body. In the Sanskrit Language ‘Bhadra’ means ‘throne’ and ‘Bhadrasana means ‘the throne posture’.

This asana is also known as ‘Baddha konasana’, in the Sanskrit language ‘Baddha’ means ‘bound’ and ‘Kona means ‘ angle and ‘asana’ means posture, so this pose is also known as ‘bound angle pose’.

This is one of the major yoga asana mentioned in the Hatha Yoga texts. This asana is also known as Cobbler’s Pose for a reason because when you go to India you will find the traditional cobblers sitting in this pose throughout the day and they have been doing so for generations.

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Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)

Butterfly pose or the Baddha Konasana is one of the major yoga asana mentioned in the Hatha Yoga texts. This asana is known as Cobbler’s Pose for a reason because when you go to India you will find the traditional cobblers sitting in this pose throughout the day.

Traditional Cobblers are practising their professions and for generation they are used to sit always sit in this pose. It is also noticed that among the traditional cobblers of India any urinary disease or disorder are very rare only because whole day they sit in this pose.

Butterfly Pose basic details:

Sanskrit Name	Baddha Konasana Bhadrasana Titli Asana
English Name	Bound Angle Pose Cobbler pose Butterfly pose
Difficulty Level	Beginner
Position	Sitting
Type	Stretch

Butterfly Pose in Yoga

Butterfly Yoga Pose benefits the following muscle groups

Lower back
Hamstrings
Knees
Pelvic
Hips
Feet
Ankles

Butterfly Yoga Pose Benefits

There are numerous (Butterfly Pose) Cobbler’s Pose Benefits, a few of them are mentioned below:

Urinary disorders: This asana is especially recommended for those persons who are suffering from any urinary disease or disorder.
Proper blood supply: The pelvic, abdomen, and back are stimulated when pressure comes on them by this asana and these organs get an ample supply of blood, which makes them strong and healthy. It keeps the kidneys, the prostate gland, and the urinary bladder healthy.
Hernia: This asana helps in preventing chances of Hernia.
Sciatica: This asana helps in relieving sciatica pain and when pain is relieved person performing this asana will be able to perform many other asanas very easily.
Testicles: This asana also helps in relieving pain and heaviness in the testicles, if this asana is practiced regularly.
Strong Spine: This asana makes the spine strong and flexible by stretching the spine from the base.
Irregular menstrual cycle: This asana along with Sarvangasana and cycles helps women who have irregular and painful menstrual cycles. It also helps the ovaries to function properly.
Pregnant women: This asana helps painless delivery to the pregnant women who practice this asana a few minutes every day during their pregnancy period and they will also be free from varicose veins. All the benefits of Butterfly Pose to the pregnant women are described by Dr. Grantly Dick in his book “Childbirth without fear”
Improving digestion: This asana can also be performed without fear even after meals. It stimulates and facilitates the digestion process if you sit in this asana for a few minutes after every meal.
Leg muscles: This yoga pose does wonders for your leg muscles and also improves knee and ankle flexibility. The hamstrings and calf muscles are toned which makes the legs strong and flexible.
Hip muscles: This yoga asana makes the hips and groins area strong and flexible, which prepares the body for all seated Yoga poses.
Reproductive organs: This asana stimulates your reproductive organs and keeps them happy and healthy. Thus this asana very effectively controls all infertility issues.

How to do Butterfly Pose (Cobbler Pose)

Sit on the floor keeping your legs straight in front of you.
Now bend your knees and bring the feet closer to your groins.
Now bring the soles and heels of the feet together.
Now catch the feet near the toes and bring the heels closer to groins as much as you can.
The outer sides of both feet should rest on the floor and the backside of the heels should touch the groins.
Now widen your thighs and lower the knees, try to touch your thighs to the floor.
It will be difficult to touch the thighs to the floor in the beginning but with regular practice, one can achieve this target.
Now interlock the fingers of the hands and grip the feet tightly.
Now stretch and erect your spine straight, if you need help you can even sit beside the wall to make your spine erect.
Now keep your face straight and see straight in front of you.

Butterfly Pose Variations

You can also do this pose while keeping your arms behind your back.

You can put your elbows on your thighs, put pressure on your thighs with your elbows to bring them down to the floor, but be careful not to hurt yourself.

You can take the help of another person who would put extra pressure on your thighs to bring them close to the floor.

Butterfly Pose Advance level

If you want to do an advanced level of this Pose then after coming into the posture as described above, you can breathe out bend forward, and try to touch your head, then your nose, and lastly your chin on the floor. You can stay in this position for about a minute with normal breathing.

Breathe in, raise your upper body from the floor and come back in the sitting position. Now release your feet and straighten your legs and relax.

Reclined Butterfly Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

In this pose, you have to lie down on the floor on your back, stretch your legs out and relax. Now breathe in and bring your feet together in Namaste pose. Now try to bring down your knees towards the floor as much as you can. This pose is known as Supta Bhadrasana.

This Yoga asana is a perfect way to stretch out the hips, inner thighs, and chest. While performing this asana make sure that your shoulders and lower back are close to the floor and also try to bring down your outer knees close to the floor every time you breathe out.

Butterfly pose modifications

This Yoga pose can also be done with a few modifications as per your specific need.

You can keep Blankets below the buttocks to support your hips.
You can place Yoga blocks below the knees to get the right amount of stretch in the inner thighs.
You can hold your ankles if you find the toes difficult to hold.
You can use the wall for extra support to your back if your back is not strong enough to perform this asana in the normal way.

Butterfly Pose Contradications

In this Yoga pose, great pressure comes on the thigh muscles so the person performing this asana should take extra care not to hurt him by forcefully performing this asana.
If you are taking the help of another person to perform this asana then make sure that another person does not put that much force on your thighs to do any sort of damage to your muscles.
People suffering from Sciatica pain should either not perform this asana or do this asana under expert guidance.
People who have undergone any surgery or operation and those who are having injury particularly on their thighs, knees or feet, should avoid this Yoga pose.

Conclusion:

Butterfly Pose or Cobbler Pose (Baddha Konasana) is also recommended for Pranayama and Meditation along with Padmasana and Virasana. When sitting in this asana for Pranayama or Meditation the palms should be folded in front of you in a Namaste pose.

FAQs: Butterfly Pose

Q1. How to do Butterfly Pose when pregnant

Ans: Pregnant women should not bend forward when they sit in the Butterfly Pose. Always make sure not to strain yourself during the pose, only do it up to the mark it can be performed easily without much effort.

During pregnancy if the practitioner finds it difficult to sit on the floor then she can place some blankets below her buttocks for extra comfort.

Q2. Who should not do Butterfly Pose

Ans: People who have undergone any surgery and those who have any injury on the thighs, knees, or feet should avoid doing this asana.

Q3. How long Butterfly Pose should be done

Ans: There is no time limit for you to sit in this pose, you can sit as long as you can or you want to.

Traditional cobblers in India sit the whole day in this pose and they very rarely suffer from any urinary disease.

Share your experience of doing Butterfly pose (Baddha Konasana) and let us know if you have any questions or comments regarding this Pose in the comments section below.