How to Do Padangusthasana – Benefits & Yoga Pose Tutorial

that I only ever practiced seated (it’s Paschimottanasana when we do it seated) for the first several years of my yoga adventure. Several of my teachers had come out of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, which uses Padangusthasana as part of the Primary Series. But by the time I met them, they were Anusara teachers and Padangusthasana was not a part of the Anusara syllabus — so we never practiced it.

It’s also possible that some teachers avoid teaching Padangusthasana because it can confuse students of Bikram and other hot yoga studios. Hot yoga students have a totally different pose called Padangusthasana, which is generally called Toe Stand Pose.

In Hatha yoga, the pose hot yogis call Padangusthasana is generally called Ardha Baddha Padma Padangusthasana, which is admittedly quite a mouthful. I can see why the pose name was shortened by B.C. Ghosh in the 1920s.

(That’s right, it wasn’t actually Bikram who coined the name. You can read more about this in the Myths & Misconceptions section below.)