Gaze ahead, chin levelHeel downChest tallLeg longSide Lunge
Skandāsana
Read what the gnome says
Side Lunge! Stand wide, bend one knee and sink the hips toward that heel, keeping the other leg straight with the toes up. Chest lifted, heel of the bent leg down. Hands at the heart. Breathe, then switch sides. Deep-squatting gnome.
Works on Adductors · Quadriceps · Glutes
How to do it
- Step the feet wide and shift the weight into one bent knee, the other leg straight.
- Bring the palms together at the heart and sit the hips back and down.
- Keep the heel of the bent leg down and the toes of the straight leg up; hold, then switch sides.
Common mistakes
- Don’t let the bent knee fall inward.
- Don’t lift the heel of the bent leg.
- Don’t round the spine.
Benefits
- Releases tight hips and outer thighs.
- Eases stiffness from sitting and walking.
- A calm, grounding shape to breathe in.
Take care: Go easy or skip if you have knee or hip pain. Support the knees with a cushion or block and stop if you feel sharp pain.
In ready-made sequences
Not medical advice. Ease off if anything feels sharp or wrong.
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Low Lunge with Quadriceps StretchIntermediate
Practised by real people
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