Noose Pose (Pashasana)

Noose Pose is a deep standing squat combined with a full spinal twist, requiring both hip flexibility and thoracic rotation. It stimulates the digestive organs and opens the outer hips and shoulders simultaneously. The practitioner squats with feet together, rotates the torso, and binds the arms around the knees or clasps the hands behind the back.

Cues

• Keep both heels pressing firmly into the floor, or place a folded blanket beneath them if they lift.
• On each inhale, lengthen the spine upward; on each exhale, deepen the rotation without collapsing the chest.
• Draw the bottom shoulder forward and the top shoulder back to keep the twist even through the entire spine.
• Soften the jaw and relax the neck so the head can turn freely with the twist.