Extend both legs and lean back on your hands to let the hips settle. · A reclined figure-four or a supine twist to soothe the outer hip. · Rest in Corpse pose once both sides are complete.
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
Come to sitting and stack your knees, one directly over the other, in front of your midline, with each foot drawn back beside the opposite hip.
If the hips feel uneven or one sit bone lifts, slide a folded blanket under the higher hip so you feel level and grounded.
Sit tall for a breath or two, feeling the outer hips. If that is already plenty, stay upright — that is the full pose.
To go deeper, walk your hands forward and fold over the stacked legs on an out-breath, letting your spine round.
Find your edge — about 60–80% of your capacity, a real stretch but never forcing. Rest your forehead or forearms on a bolster if the floor is far away.
Be still and let the shape do the work. Then come out slowly and swap the cross of the legs for the second side.
Why practice it
A deep opener for the outer hips and glutes — that broad, satisfying stretch across the outside of the top thigh.
Stimulates the gall bladder line down the outer leg and the urinary bladder line up the back.
Folding forward adds a gentle release for the lower back and a quiet, inward turn for the mind.
Helps undo the tightness that builds from long hours of sitting, walking and running.
Before you go
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Take care
This pose asks a lot of the knees. If the knees complain when you stack them, don't. A folded blanket between the thighs or under the hips eases the load — and if pain remains, come out.
Keep the sensation in the outer hip, not the knee joint. Sharp or twisting knee sensation is your cue to back off.
If stacking is too much for the hips, keep the bottom leg straight out in front (Folded Half Shoelace) for a gentler version.
Let the spine round softly, but with disc trouble or sciatica, stay more upright and sit up on a cushion rather than folding deep.
Coming in & out
Into the pose
From a seated position, cross one knee over the other and stack them, drawing the feet back beside the hips.
From Deer or a cross-legged seat, lift and stack the knees one over the other.
Out of the pose
Come out slowly. Rise back up through a rounded spine, then unstack the legs and extend them forward to release.
Give the legs a gentle shake before setting up the second side.
Common questions
How long do you hold Shoelace in Yin Yoga?
Most people hold Shoelace 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 Shoelace suitable for beginners?
Shoelace suits you best once you have a little Yin experience. It's still accessible if you ease in slowly, use props where you need them and respect the cautions on this page — never force the shape.
What does Shoelace stretch?
Shoelace mainly works the outer hips, glutes and lower back. A deep opener for the outer hips and glutes — that broad, satisfying stretch across the outside of the top thigh.
Do you need props for Shoelace?
You don't have to, but a cushion, bolster or blanket can make Shoelace more comfortable and help you relax into the hold. Props in Yin aren't a shortcut — they let you stay longer and soften more deeply.
What's the difference between Shoelace and Cow Face pose?
They stack the knees the same way for a deep outer-hip stretch. Cow Face (the yang version) usually adds the bound arms and keeps the spine upright; Shoelace is the Yin form — muscles relaxed, often folding forward to release the lower back and held still for several minutes.
Is Shoelace safe for your knees?
Keep the sensation in the outer hip, never in the knee joint. Sharp or twisting knee sensation means back off — sit up on a cushion, slide a blanket under the top knee, or straighten the bottom leg for Folded Half Shoelace. If you have sciatica, lift the hips so the knees sit below them.
Shoelace 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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