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% How to Do Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana) Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Yoga Poses
How to Do Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana) in Yoga
Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes By Ann Pizer Ann Pizer Ann Pizer is a writer and registered yoga instructor who teaches vinyasa/flow and prenatal yoga classes. Learn about our editorial process Updated on June 16, 2020 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research.
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Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Sara Clark Reviewed by
Sara Clark Sara Clark is an EYT 500-hour certified Vinyasa yoga and mindfulness teacher, lululemon Global Yoga Ambassador, model, and writer.
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Learn about our Review Board Print Verywell / Ben Goldstein Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Benefits Step-by-Step Instructions Common Mistakes Modifications and Variations Safety and Precautions Try It Out Also Known As: Gecko Pose Targets: Hips, groin, inner hamstrings Level: Intermediate Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana) is a yoga pose that opens up your hips. In Sanskrit, Utthan means to stretch out, Pristha means the page of a book, and Asana means pose. Depending on how flexible you are, Lizard Pose can be intense for your hips.
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If you're less flexible in these areas, you can use modified versions of the pose. Benefits Lizard Pose is a great way to stretch your hamstrings, hip flexors, and quadriceps.
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Strengthening these muscle groups will help you maintain a full range of motion. A slow, deep, hip-opening stretch can help alleviate low back pain or sciatica, release tension, and prevent injury both in your yoga practice and your everyday life.
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Strength in your hips and hamstrings, in particular, can improve your balance and flexibility. The pose also has many mental benefits, including reducing stress, improving focus, energizing creativity, and releasing emotion.
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Yoga instructors often recommend the pose to athletes looking to tone various muscle groups. They may also recommend it to people having symptoms related to reproductive health, as the pose promotes activation of the pelvis and lower abdomen.
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For those who want to advance in yoga practice, Lizard Pose can prepare you for deeper hip openers such as the Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) and Monkey Pose (Hanumanasana). Step-by-Step Instructions Start in Downward-Facing Dog.
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Inhale. Exhale as you step your right foot to the outside of your right hand.
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Make sure your foot comes all the way to the front of your yoga mat so your toes are in line with your fingers. Your right knee should be bent at a 90-degree angle and stacked above the ankle. Your toes should point out about 45 degrees. Inhale as you bring your elbows to the floor with your forearms flat on your mat.
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Spread your palms out on the floor (use a block underneath the forearms here if necessary). Keep your head in a neutral, relaxed position.
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Exhale and press into your left heel to keep your left leg active. This will help ensure your hips don't sag toward the floor.
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Stay for 5 deep, full breaths. When you're ready to release from the pose, exhale deeply and straighten your arms so your wrists are under your shoulders.
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Inhale and step back to Downward Dog. Stay in your starting pose for several breaths.
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Repeat the steps starting with your left leg forward to ensure the pose is performed equally on both sides. Common Mistakes
Your Breathing Is Off As you move through Lizard Pose, go slowly. If you catch yourself holding your breath at any point, pause and refocus.
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If you're unsure about where to breath or tend to lose track, ask your yoga instructor to show you some breathing awareness exercises. You' re Forcing Your Hips Open Even though Lizard Pose is an intermediate-to-advanced level pose, that doesn't mean you want to push beyond your body's limits.
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Especially with hip openers, it's important to listen to your body and go slowly. While Lizard Pose can provide a deep stretch, you need to safely work up to this level of practice to avoid strain. It may take time and consistent practice for flexibility in your hips to improve.
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If you're naturally flexible already, you'll need to stay especially focused and controlled to avoid injury. You' re Comparing Yourself to Others This is a trap you can find yourself falling into no matter what pose you're working on, but it can be especially detrimental when you're working on poses that depend on your unique body and natural flexibility.
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If you attend a yoga class, you may find yourself looking at others and feeling bad if they seem able to master the pose right away or without modifications. Remember: With many poses, but especially those such as Lizard Pose, everyone is starting with a different level of innate flexibility and structure to their pelvis.
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Some people may find Lizard Pose easy from the get-go, while others may need time and dedicated practice to feel its benefits. Don't hesitate to ask for a modification if you need it. It's far better for your body and overall yoga practice to perform the pose in whatever way is safest and most effective for you than to risk injury by trying to conform to someone else's needs.
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Modifications and Variations
Need a Modification If you don't have much flexibility or range of motion in your hips, here are a few tips to modify Lizard Pose: After bringing your right foot forward, you can allow your left knee to lower to the mat if that's more comfortable. Or you may start with the knee down, then lift up if it feels comfortable, keeping the hips level with the shoulders.If your hips are tight, try using props for support.
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Use a block under your forearms for comfort. If your back knee feels uncomfortable, add a rolled-up towel or mat underneath it.If coming down to the forearms on a block is still too intense, try staying on your palms with arms straight.
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Up for a Challenge If you have more flexibility in your hips, try this variation to deepen the stretch: Inhale. Roll onto the outer edge of your right foot and let your right knee fall open.Exhale.
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Drop your left knee to the floor.Bend your left knee until the sole of your foot is facing the ceiling.Inhale. Reach your right hand behind your back and take hold of your left foot.Exhale.
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Draw your foot toward your butt for an intense quad stretch. You can do this with your left arm straight or on the floor. As you work on this variation, try using a strap to help you grab your foot to achieve the pose.
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For more advanced yoga practice, you can also try the Flying Lizard Pose variation. This is an arm balance.
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Start from Downward-Facing Dog.As you exhale, step forward with your right foot.Exhale and move your right arm behind your right leg with the palm of your hand on the floor next to that foot. Snuggle the right arm underneath the front thigh so that the top of the hamstrings, close to the hip, rests almost on the shoulder.Inhale as lift your back (left) foot off the floor.Pause here for a few deep breaths.
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Focus and find your balance.When you're ready, exhale and shift forward, as in Chaturanga, and lift your right foot off the floor.With your weight now only on your hands, stay balanced here for a few deep breaths. Feet are flexed.Exhale and release from the pose in a slow, controlled movement. Safety and Precautions As always, it's best to check with your doctor before starting any new exercise class, workout, or yoga routine.
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Lizard Pose is part of a more advanced yoga practice, so it's worth also consulting with your teacher before trying it on your own. People with certain conditions, injuries, or those recovering from surgery may want to avoid Lizard Pose.
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You may want to skip the pose if: You have sciatica or other lower back problemsIf you have a wrist or hand injuryYou're recovering from surgery involving your neck, knees, feet, hips, arms, or handsYou have instability or weakness in your shoulders, forearms, wrists, or hands Many yoga poses are safe and can be beneficial during pregnancy. Ask your yoga teacher about modifications, such as props, that can make Lizard Pose comfortable for you in your prenatal yoga practice. Try It Out Lizard Pose provides an intense hip stretch on its own, but it's usually part of an intermediate to advanced yoga practice.
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Lizard Pose may be performed alongside these poses or within particular yoga sequences: Yoga Hip Openers
Cobbler's Pose (Baddha Konasana)
Yoga Poses for Hips
7 Ways to Use a Yoga Wheel
Intermediate Yoga Poses By Ann Pizer
Ann Pizer is a writer and registered yoga instructor who teaches vinyasa/flow and prenatal yoga classes. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful?
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Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Related Articles Past the Basics: Yoga Poses for Intermediate Levels 7 Best Poses to Try With a Yoga Wheel 7 Best Hip Flexor Exercises 31 Yoga Poses for Beginners How to Do Compass Pose (Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana): Techniques, Benefits, Variations How to Do Eye of the Needle Pose (Sucirandhrasana): Techniques, Benefits, Variations Start Your Yoga Practice With a Sun Salutation Warm up Sequence How to Work on the Elusive Psoas Muscle With Yoga Yoga Headstand (Sirsasana) How to Do Monkey Pose (Hanumanasana) in Yoga Try the Hurdler Pose for a Challenging Arm Balance How to Do Pigeon Pose Open Up Your Hips and Stretch Your Inner Thighs With Frog Pose 6 Yoga Poses That Will Improve Your Posture How to Do Staff Pose (Dandasana): Techniques, Benefits, Variations Try Half Lotus If Full Pose Is Too Intense When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests.
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