Knees-To-Chest in yoga is essentially Child’s pose on your back. It’s great for releasing tension at the lower back and for neutralising the spine after Twists and Backbends. In this position, you can also massage your lower back on either side of your lower spine, which is often an area that gets sore from over-training, travel and from sitting for long periods of time. It’s closely related to Wind-Relieving pose. Both of these postures can help to relieve indigestion and alleviate lower back pain.
KNEES-TO-CHEST BENEFITS
- Stretches the glutes as your hips flex deeply, drawing your knees toward your chest.
- Decompresses and releases tension in the lower back, especially as you rock gently from side to side.
- Neutralises the spine—a good counter-pose after twists and backbends.
- Can help to alleviate lower back pain.
CATEGORY
SKILL LEVEL
- Beginner
INSTRUCTIONS
- Set-Up
Lie on your back and hug both knees into your chest. You can rock gently from side to side to massage your lower back, on either side of your lumbar spine.
- Duration
Stay in the pose for at least 5-10 breaths. Breathe deep into your abdomen and into your lower back.
VARIATION: Rolling Knees-To-Chest
- For a more dynamic version of this pose, use your breath to rock: exhale and roll back slightly onto your upper back, then inhale and roll forward, using your abs to control the movement rather than momentum. This massages the length of your spine, rather than either side of it, and can feel energising rather than purely restorative.
MODIFICATION: Knees-To-Chest for Sensitive Knees
- If gripping your shins puts too much pressure on your knees, you can hold behind your thighs instead. You’ll still get the same hip flexion and lower-back release without loading the knee joint directly.
KNEES-TO-CHEST ARCHETYPE
- This pose, Child’s pose and rolling like a ball all take a similar form. Deep flexion of the knees and hips allows for decompression at the lower back. Kelly Starrett describes common postural patterns like these as archetypes. So if you can’t practice this pose because you’re suffering from a back injury, you may be able to get many of the same benefits in Child’s pose. You can also practice the dynamic version if you want to make you practice more active.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
- Avoid Knees-To-Chest if you have a knee injury.
MASTER KNEES-TO-CHEST
If you’d like to practise Knees-To-Chest pose as part of a sequence, watch Miracle Morning Stretch—a 15-minute guided practice designed to loosen up your hips and release tension at your lower back. This video can be accessed along with my full library of 360+ videos as part of the 14-Day Free Trial.
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