Camel Pose

Camel Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions

One of the most accessible and safest backbends, Camel Pose (also known as Ustrasana) elevates your energy levels while relieving stiff shoulder and back muscles. This pose is excellent for counteracting the hunched posture that comes from prolonged sitting and screen time.

Aspect	Details
Pose Name	Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
Pose Level	Level 1 (Beginner)
Hold Duration	30 seconds to 1 minute
Primary Focus	Backbend, chest opener
Key Benefit	Improves posture, stretches entire front body

Ustrasana

(Pronounced as "oosh-TRAHS-anna")

The Sanskrit word ushtra means "camel." This pose takes its name from the animal that has one of the longest, most flexible arched necks in the world: the camel.

How to Do Camel Pose

Step	Action	Key Focus
1	Kneel on the floor with knees hip-width apart	Shin and foot alignment
2	Place palms on hips, lift chest, roll shoulders back	Chest expansion
3	Arch back and reach for heels	Controlled backbend
4	Press hands onto heels, let head relax back	Spinal lengthening
5	Hold 30–60 seconds, then slowly curl back up	Controlled release

Step One

Kneel down onto the floor. Keep your knees, thighs and feet touching each other.

If you feel discomfort in your thighs in this position, you can place your knees apart. However, keep your knees directly under your hips. If you have chronic knee pain, you can also spread out a yoga blanket underneath your feet, shins and knees to cushion the joints.

Turn your thigh muscles slightly inward as you press both your shins and the tops of your feet down into the floor.

Step Two

Put the palms of your hands on the sides of your hips. Your fingers should point in front of you. Move your thumbs down so that they press into either side of your upper tailbone region.

Now engage your thigh muscles, keep your tailbone tucked underneath your torso and inhale, lifting your chest straight up as high as you can. Draw your shoulder blades deep inside your chest as you roll your shoulders back to allow maximum expansion of the chest.

Step Three

After you've fully expanded your chest with a deep inhalation, exhale as you push your tailbone in with your thumbs and arch yourself up, back and down. Rotate your shoulders out and reach back to touch your heels with your fingers. You can grab your heels with your hands if you have the flexibility.

If you cannot reach your heels, place a chair on the floor behind you while kneeling so that it touches your buttocks. Then perform the same lifting, curling and leaning back movement while your arms hold onto the chair behind you.

With every inhalation, lift up. With every exhalation, slide your fingers further down the legs of the chair until one day you can reach your heels. Do not push the chair back with your body weight; keep your thighs perpendicular to the floor.

Step Four

Press down onto your heels with your hands, or grip the legs of your chair in a downward-moving direction, as you let your head fall back. Keep your hips right above your knees.

Maintain this alignment by using equal amounts of force in pushing your tailbone in and rolling your thighs in to slightly push back. Tighten your buttocks and pull yourself up, around and back to lengthen your pelvis and your entire spine all the way up from your tailbone.

Do not force your head back. Keep your neck relaxed in a neutral position without tightening your throat or your face. Let your sternum continue lifting up toward the ceiling.

Step Five

Hold this posture for about half a minute to one minute. To come out of it, release your hands and put them back onto your hips as before. Let your thumbs continue supporting your tailbone as you inhale to slowly curl back up from your legs, belly, torso and then bring your head up last.

If you will be doing more backbends after this posture, simply sit on your knees and rest for a few breaths before continuing.

If this is the last backbend of your practice today, you can bend forward and rest in Child's Pose while you take several deep breaths.

Beginner's Tip:

Camel Pose Information

Detail	Information
Sanskrit Name	Ushtrasana
Pose Level	Level 1 (Beginner)
Pose Type	Backbend / Chest Opener
Hold Time	30–60 seconds
Props Needed	Yoga blocks, blanket, or chair (optional)

Sanskrit Name:

Ushtrasana

Pose Level:

Level 1

Contraindications and Cautions:

• Constipation

• Diarrhea

• Hypertension or abnormal blood pressure

• Intense headaches

• Recent or severe back or neck injuries

• Menstruation

Modifications and Props:

If you experience chronic pain in your neck that makes it too difficult to let it hang back, place a chair behind you.

Stack several pillows or yoga blankets on the seat of the chair and adjust the position so that when you lean back, your head and neck rest on the soft support behind you. Adjust the chair as needed.

You may need to place the chair a few inches behind your buttocks while kneeling to get the pillows in the right position under your head. While resting here, focus on rolling your shoulders away from each other and expanding your chest as you keep breathing.

Deepen the Pose:

If you are comfortable placing your hands on your heels in Camel Pose, try to lift your sternum more and curl back further to press the palms of your hands against the soles of your feet. Your fingers should point back behind you.

Therapeutic Applications:

• Reduces respiratory troubles by increasing the capacity of your lungs

• Relieves backaches by improving your posture

• Removes fatigue through enhanced circulation

• Tones the muscles in your back

Camel Pose Benefits

Benefit	Details
Front Body Stretch	Deep stretch through ankles, thighs and groin area
Hip Flexor Toning	Tones the deep psoas muscles
Improved Circulation	Enhances blood flow to abdominal organs, thyroid glands and lymph nodes
Posture Correction	Counteracts forward-leaning posture from prolonged sitting
Spinal Flexibility	Increases range of motion in the thoracic spine

• All the muscles along the front of your body receive a deep stretch, including the ankles, thighs and groin area.

• It tones the deep hip-flexor muscles, also known as the psoas.

• This pose provides extra circulation to your abdominal organs, thyroid glands and lymph nodes around the throat.

• Regular practice helps counteract the forward-leaning posture caused by prolonged sitting and device use.

Camel Pose Variations

Variation	Description	Difficulty
Partnered Camel	Partner assists with neck lengthening and shoulder blade engagement	Beginner
One-Arm Camel	Reach one arm back at a time while the other stays on the hip	Intermediate
Full Camel (Palms to Soles)	Press palms against the soles of the feet for a deeper backbend	Advanced

Partnering

Ask a partner to stand behind you while you go into Camel Pose. They should gently pull your neck from the base of your skull with one hand. Their other hand should simultaneously press in between your shoulder blades.

These two counterbalancing actions help lengthen your neck so that you can drop your head back more comfortably and safely.