Challenge your balance, flexibility, and strength with Half-Lotus Tiptoe Pose…

Half-Lotus Tiptoe Pose (Ardha Baddha Padma Prapadasana) – also known as Tip Toe Pose, Toe Stand Pose, or Half Bound Lotus Tiptoe Pose – is an intermediate-to-advanced-level yoga pose that challenges both balance and strength. This pose helps to build strong core muscles, strengthens the joints of the knees, hips, and ankles, stretches and opens the hips, and improves balance, focus, and concentration.

This is a challenging pose, but if you’re up for it, it’s a great way to begin to strengthen the lower body and core in preparation for more advanced balance poses. This pose does require some flexibility in the hips, so if you’re not there yet, follow one of the suggested modifications below and work on improving your flexibility until you can do the full pose.

Those with knee or Achilles tendon or heel injuries, and those who have sciatica, should avoid this pose.

How to Do Half-Lotus Tiptoe Pose:

• Begin in Mountain Pose with the feet parallel and hip-width apart.
• Shift the weight to the right foot.
• Bend the left knee and lift the foot up onto the right hip crease to Half Lotus Tree Pose.
• Soften the right knee and fold forward from the hips, bring all ten fingertips to the ground.
• Bend the right standing leg and come onto the ball of the right foot.
• Lower the hips down into a deep squat balancing the base of the tailbone onto the right heel. You’re your balancing point. Plant the ball of the foot into the ground and spread the toes. Keep heel and spine lifted. Imagine the ball of your foot is a springboard and that any moment you could spring upward.
• When you are properly balanced, take one hand at a time into prayer.
• Take 3-5 yoga breaths here.
• To exit the pose, bring the fingertips back to the ground. Lift the hips and straighten the right leg returning to half lotus standing forward bend.
• Rise up to Mountain pose and release the bound leg.
• Repeat on the other side.

To modify the pose, you can try a chair variation, starting in Chair Pose, then crossing one ankle over the other knee. Lower into a squat, and bring your hands into prayer position.

You can also hold onto a chair to help you balance in the pose, or place a yoga block under your tailbone for support. You may also place a folded blanket under the heel of your standing foot if you aren’t able to lift your heel up all the way in the pose.

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