Lie flat and still for a few breaths to let both sides feel even again. · A gentle knees-to-chest hug to release the lower back.
Time your hold
Three soft ticks and a bell when you're done, so you can close your eyes and stop
watching the clock.
How to do it
Lie on your back with your whole body in a straight line, then keep your hips anchored where they are.
Walk both feet over to the left, then walk your shoulders and head to the left as well, curving your body into a crescent — a banana shape.
Reach your arms overhead and take hold of one wrist, drawing gently toward the left.
Cross your right ankle over the left to deepen the stretch along the outer right hip and leg.
Keep both buttocks on the floor so the curve stays in the side body rather than turning into a twist.
Find your edge — about 60–80% of your capacity, a real stretch but never forcing — then be still and let the shape do the work.
Tuck a cushion under the head if the neck feels strained reaching the arms overhead.
Why practice it
A long, luxurious stretch down the whole side of the body, from the fingertips to the ankle — a simple lateral flexion (side bend) of the spine.
Reaches the IT band and outer hip, the side ribs and the oblique muscles, stretching the gall bladder line that runs along the side seam.
Creates space between the ribs and the hip, so the breath can expand into the side of the lungs; reaching the arms overhead adds a stretch through the heart and lung lines of the inner arm.
Simple and deeply soothing — a lovely, quiet way to begin or end a practice.
Before you go
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Take care
Keep both hips grounded — if the top hip lifts, you're turning it into a twist; ease off if you have disc trouble.
If the shoulders complain reaching overhead, rest the arms lower or bend the elbows.
Back out of the ankle cross if you feel anything sharp in the outer knee or hip.
Coming in & out
Into the pose
From lying flat on your back, walk the feet and then the upper body over to one side into a crescent.
Out of the pose
Come out slowly — uncross the ankles, walk yourself back to center, and rest flat before curving to the other side.
Common questions
How long do you hold Banana in Yin Yoga?
Most people hold Banana for 3–5 minutes per side. The long, still hold is what makes it Yin — settle in, soften, and let the shape do the work. Come out a little sooner if you ever need to.
Is Banana pose a twist or a side bend?
It's a side bend, not a twist. Banana is a lateral flexion of the spine — you curve to one side like a crescent while both hips and both shoulders stay grounded. If the top hip lifts and you start to roll, it has become a twist, so ease back until both buttocks are on the floor again.
What does Banana pose stretch?
Banana mainly works the whole side body — the IT band and outer hip, the side ribs and intercostals, and the oblique muscles — stretching the gall bladder line down the side seam. Reaching the arms overhead adds a stretch through the heart and lung lines of the inner arm.
Is Banana suitable for beginners?
Yes. Banana is one of the most approachable Yin poses and easy to support. Work at about 60–80% of your edge, keep both hips grounded, breathe, and read the cues and cautions on this page before you begin.
Banana is one shape among many. When you'd like to put a whole sequence together into one long, slow practice, pop your email in and I'll send you my free two-hour Yin, restorative and Yoga Nidra retreat. Yours to keep.
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