Thunderbolt PoseVajrasana

Vajrasana, or Thunderbolt Pose, is a simple kneeling seat where you sit back on your heels with a tall spine and hands resting on the thighs. It is one of the few poses traditionally practised just after a meal, and it stretches the thighs, ankles and feet while steadying the breath for meditation and pranayama. Many find it a calm, grounding base for daily practice, women-first, in Kolathur.

1. 1

   Set up

   Kneel on a mat with your knees together and the tops of your feet flat on the floor, big toes touching and heels falling slightly apart.

   ↓ Exhale
2. 2

   Sit back

   Lower your hips back and down so they rest on your heels, with your thighs settling onto your calves and your weight even on both sit bones.

   ↓ Exhale
3. 3

   Lengthen and settle

   Rest your palms on your thighs, lengthen your spine, draw your shoulders down and back, and lift gently through the crown of your head.

   ↑ Inhale
4. 4

   Release

   Place your hands on the floor, lift your hips, extend one leg forward and then the other, and gently shake out your ankles.

   ↓ Exhale

The breath leads the movement: inhale as you open and lift, exhale as you fold and lower. One full round repeats the sequence leading with the other leg.

• ✓Stretches the thighs, ankles and the tops of the feet
• ✓Encourages a tall, upright spine for seated meditation and pranayama
• ✓One of the few seated poses traditionally practised just after eating
• ✓Many find it calms the mind and steadies the breath
• ✓Builds steadiness and focus during long, still holds

• Skip or use generous padding if you have knee or ankle issues, recent leg surgery, or arthritis in the knees
• Avoid if you have a hernia, slipped disc, sciatica or acute lower-back pain
• Come out slowly and shake out the legs if you feel any tingling or numbness in the feet

This is general guidance, not medical advice. If in doubt, check with your doctor.

Reviewed by Sailaja Anand, yoga instructor at Anand Yoga Centre. Last updated 2026-06-14.