The difference between the lightning bolt pose, the hero pose, and the toe pose

Have you ever been in yoga class when your teacher points out Thunderbolt Pose, and as soon as you kneel down and sink your hips into your heels, you look around and see the other students doing it, well, right? You flip through your mental files during kneeling yoga poses. “Is Thunderbolt the same as Hero Pose? Wait, where does Toe Squat factor into all of this?” I realized that you probably don’t really know what Thunderbolt is. Or hero pose. Or toe squat.

Yoga tends to humble every one of us at some point. In fact, on many points. No matter how long you’ve trained, that feeling of “Wait, what??” And seemingly cheating on another person by imitating their movements is exactly how we continue to learn — which, according to yoga, is a lifelong process.

However, some yoga poses are subtly similar, especially these three kneeling positions. Here’s how to tell the difference.

The difference between Thunderbolt, Hero, and Toe Squat

Each of these poses stretches the feet, ankles, and quads in different ways. At the same time, you can feel extreme density in these parts of the body, as well as in the knees. During exercise, you may feel some discomfort as your body adjusts to the stretch. However, if you feel pain, exit the pose.

1. Thunderbolt position

When you think of lightning bolt pose (Vajrasana), imagine kneeling on the mat and sitting on your heels. This is the basis.

How to: Kneel on the mat with your knees together and rest the tops of your feet on the mat with your heels together. As you sit, you want your sit bones to rest on the bottoms of your feet. Press your fingertips into the mat on each side of your hips to help you balance, or rest your hands in your lap or on your thighs. Reach the crown of your head toward the ceiling and pull your shoulders away from your ears. Keep your heels together, you want to sit on your heels, not your inner arches. blanket Underfoot can help.

2. Hero pose

Unlike Thunderbolt Pose, in which you sit on your feet, Hero Pose (Virasana) He asks you to sit between them.

How to: Kneel on the mat with your feet slightly wider than your hips. Sink your hips back into the space between them until your sit bones rest on the mat in Hero Pose. If this bothers your hips or knees, move a block or stack of books below your bones to reduce the intensity. Press your fingertips into the mat on each side of your hips or place your hands on your lap or on your thighs. Reach the crown of your head toward the ceiling and pull your shoulders away from your ears. Don’t forget to breathe.

3. Toe squat

For many people, Extreme stretching of the foot of Toe Squat makes this pose unforgettable. Of course, you can adjust your posture for a more sustained stretch.

How to: Kneel on the mat with your knees together, your toes tucked, and your bones resting on your heels in the Toe Squat. For a less intense stretch, move your hands slightly forward on the mat and lift some of your weight off your feet.

option: You can start on your hands and knees, then tuck your toes in (as you do in this). Cow pose), then slowly walk your hands toward your hips to get into a slower Toe Squat position. Pause wherever you feel a comfortable stretch.