Kurmasana

Kurmasana (Sanskrit: कूर्मासन; IAST: kūrmāsana), Tortoise Pose,[1] or Turtle Pose[2] is a sitting forward bending asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise.

The name comes from the Sanskrit कूर्म Kūrma, "turtle" or "tortoise"[3] and आसन Āsana, "posture" or "seat".

Iyengar states that the asana is dedicated to Kurma, the tortoise incarnation of the god Vishnu.

[8] To enter kūrmāsana a practitioner sits with the legs outstretched, feet as wide apart as possible.

[9][8] Supta Kurmasana (Sleeping Tortoise Pose) has the forehead on the floor, the feet crossed behind the head, and the arms reaching around the legs, hands clasped behind the back.

Tortoise Pose, Kurmasana
Pose labelled "Kurmasana" in the 19th century Jogapradipika
Uttana Kurmasana from the 19th century Sritattvanidhi