gentle Dandasana · staff pose
Long-sitting
Legs straight out in front, torso tall. A clean counter-pose to all the folded positions — it asks the hamstrings to lengthen and the spine to hold itself up.
What it asks of you
- Hamstring length (short hamstrings pull the pelvis into a slump)
- Active trunk extension to stay upright
How to sit it well
- 1 Sit up on a cushion so the pelvis can tip forward
- 2 Soften the knees rather than locking them
- 3 Press the backs of the thighs down and grow tall through the spine
- 4 A slight bend in the knees is fine — height matters more than straight legs
Good for
- A break from folded positions
- Stretching
- Working with a lap desk
- Reading on your back's terms
Props that help
- Cushion under the sit-bones
- Rolled blanket under the knees