The Pose With the Most Literal Name in the Entire Practice

This is the pose with the most literal name in the entire practice, and taking that name at face value is most of what makes it actually work.

What the name is actually telling you

Pavana means wind or air, mukta means release, a name that says exactly what the pose is traditionally used for, releasing trapped gas and easing digestive discomfort.

How to actually do it

Lie on the back, then draw one or both knees in toward the chest, hands clasped around the shins or knees. Keep the lower back grounded rather than letting it lift as the knees draw in. Hold, breathing steadily, then release. If both knees are drawn in together, a gentle rocking side to side can deepen the massage through the lower back.

A direct, mechanical compression

This isn't a pose reaching for a metaphor, it's a direct, mechanical compression of the abdomen, and staying present with what's actually happening in the belly, rather than rushing to the next shape, is most of what makes it effective.

Precaution and contraindication

Keep the movement gentle, this is meant to be a compression, not a forceful squeeze. Support the head with a small cushion if the neck doesn't rest comfortably flat.

Avoid or modify during pregnancy, or with a hernia, recent abdominal surgery, or acute digestive inflammation, since the direct compression can aggravate any of these.

The science involved

Drawing the knees into the chest directly compresses the abdominal organs and the large intestine specifically, encouraging trapped gas to move and easing lower back tension the same way this guide's other forward folds and twists address it from different angles. The gentle rocking, when used, adds a mechanical massage to the lower back muscles along the spine, supporting the same disc hydration and spinal mobility that Cat-Cow works earlier in a practice, just from a fully supported, gravity-assisted position instead.

This is one of the first five Supine poses in the Beginner's Guide to Yoga Asana. Setu Bandhasana is a good next step once the lower back feels ready to work a little more.

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