Rabbit Pose

Weight in the shins, not the head

Rabbit Pose rests the crown of the head on the floor, but the head should carry very little weight. Holding the heels lets you control how much the spine rounds, while most of the weight stays in the shins and knees. If you feel pressure building in the neck, lift the hips and roll back towards Child’s Pose.

How to do Rabbit Pose

• Kneel in Thunderbolt Seat, with a folded blanket under the knees and shins if you like
• Reach back and hold the heels, thumbs on the outside; use a strap around the feet if the heels are hard to reach
• Tuck the chin and round forward, bringing the forehead to the floor near the knees
• Lift the hips and roll forward onto the crown of the head, keeping the forehead close to the knees
• Keep holding the heels and gently draw the shoulders away from the ears; breathe into the back of the ribs
• Hold for 3 to 5 breaths, lower the hips back to the heels and rest in Child’s Pose

Gentler options

• Child’s Pose with the arms by the sides, which rounds the back without loading the head
• Rabbit with the hips lower and the forehead, not the crown, on the floor
• A cushion under the head to soften the contact

Who should avoid it

Avoid Rabbit Pose with a neck injury, glaucoma, uncontrolled high blood pressure or other conditions where head-down positions are not advised, and with recent eye or head surgery. Skip it if you feel dizzy or have pain in the neck. In pregnancy, Child’s Pose with the knees wide is a gentler choice.