Bound Revolved Side Angle Pose anatomy

Bound Revolved Side Angle Pose · Parivrtta Baddha Parsvakonasana · Tư thế góc nghiêng vặn mình khóa tay

Bound Revolved Side Angle Pose mainly works quadriceps, gluteus medius (right), triceps surae (left), external oblique (left); it stretches gluteus maximus (right), iliopsoas (left), external oblique (right), internal oblique (left); transversus abdominis stabilize.

Opening the 3D model…

Start in a high lunge with the right foot forward: right knee bent at a right angle over the ankle, left leg straight behind, left heel lifted over the ball of the foot. Inhale to lengthen the spine; exhale and turn the torso to the right, bringing the left shoulder outside the right thigh, as close to the knee as you can. Wrap the left arm around the outside of the right thigh and under it; wrap the right arm behind the back and clasp the hands near the right hip. Draw the right shoulder back to open the chest, gaze over the right shoulder toward the ceiling. The obliques and deep back muscles rotate the spine; both shoulders rotate inward and extend back, so the front of the shoulder, the right side of the chest and the shoulder external rotators stretch; the front leg carries the weight and the back groin stretches gently. If the hands don't meet, use a strap; if you are unsteady, lower the back knee or bring the palms together at the chest. In the 3D model the left hand holds the right wrist just behind the right hip.

Muscles in this pose

Working (contracting): Quadriceps, Gluteus medius (right), Triceps surae (left), External oblique (left), Internal oblique (right), Multifidus (left), Erector spinae, Subscapularis, Rhomboid major (right), Sternocleidomastoid (left)

Stretching: Gluteus maximus (right), Iliopsoas (left), External oblique (right), Internal oblique (left), Infraspinatus, Teres minor, Pectoralis major (right), Deltoid (right), Biceps brachii (right)

Stabilizing: Transversus abdominis

Why these muscles work or stretch

• Quadriceps · Working (contracting): Holds the front knee bent under the body weight
• Gluteus medius · Working (contracting): Presses the front thigh out against the arm, keeping the knee on track
• Triceps surae · Working (contracting): Keeps the back heel lifted over the ball of the foot
• External oblique · Working (contracting): The opposite-side external oblique and same-side internal oblique turn the chest toward the twist
• Multifidus · Working (contracting): Multifidus rotates the vertebrae toward the opposite side
• Erector spinae · Working (contracting): Keeps the spine long, without rounding in the twist
• Subscapularis · Working (contracting): Turns the shoulder inward so the arm can wrap back and clasp the other hand
• Rhomboid major · Working (contracting): Draws the shoulder blade toward the spine to open the chest
• Sternocleidomastoid · Working (contracting): Turns the head to look over the right shoulder
• Gluteus maximus · Stretching: Front hip deeply flexed
• Iliopsoas · Stretching: Back hip slightly extended: a mild stretch
• Infraspinatus · Stretching: The shoulder external rotators lengthen as the shoulder turns inward
• Pectoralis major · Stretching: The chest on the side of the arm behind the back stretches as the shoulder extends
• Deltoid · Stretching: The front fibers stretch as the shoulder extends back
• Biceps brachii · Stretching: The long head stretches as the shoulder extends back

Practice cues

• Lengthen the spine first, then twist as you exhale, from the belly up to the chest
• Keep the front knee over the ankle; press the thigh gently into the arm
• Reach the back heel back and keep the pelvis level

Benefits

• Improves spinal rotation, especially in the upper back
• Stretches the fronts of the shoulders, the chest and the shoulder external rotators
• Strengthens the front leg and the glutes and trains balance

Cautions / contraindications

• Avoid with a shoulder or rotator cuff injury or a history of shoulder dislocation
• Avoid with a herniated disc, acute low back pain or during pregnancy
• Take care with knee pain; never yank the hands together

Easier variations

• Hold a strap between the hands if they don't meet
• Lower the back knee to the floor, bring the palms together and hook the left elbow outside the right knee

General information, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or teacher.

Written and reviewed by Yoga An Viên center · Updated 25/10/2026

How to practice this pose (YogaWay, in Vietnamese)

Related poses

• Noose Pose Pasasana
• Marichi’s Pose D (Half Lotus Twist) Marichyasana D
• Full Lord of the Fishes Pose Paripurna Matsyendrasana
• Revolved High Lunge (Revolved Crescent Lunge) Parivrtta Ashta Chandrasana
• Simple Seated Twist Vakrasana
• Marichi’s Pose III (Seated Twist) Marichyasana III

A free community project by Yoga An Viên center · Model: Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0), based on BodyParts3D © DBCLS (CC BY-SA 2.1 JP)