Camel pose is an amazing way to open your heart and lighten up your yoga practice. But have you tried spicing this wonderful pose up with a few adjustments? Let's have a look at some cool Camel pose variations!
Camel Pose Step-By-Step
- Come into a high kneeling position with your hips lined up over your knees. Keep your toes tucked under or flatten the tops of your feet.
- Bring one hand to your low back and the other to your abdomen. Engage your core and drop your tailbone down towards the floor.
- Bring your hands to your ribcage and begin to curl your upper chest and back open into a backbend. Drop your gaze back to lengthen the front of your throat.
- Keep your hands at your waist, bring them to hearts center, or begin to release your hands to place them on your heels.
- Keep the chest lifted and continue to work your hips forward.
Variations galore
Wamel (wall camel)
Move yourself over to a wall. Line up your knees as close as you can with the floorboard and send your gaze forward to the wall. Bring your hands to your lowest ribs {fingertips facing towards the wall}. While tucking your tail and pressing your hips into the wall, begin to open up the front of your chest and your upper back. Stay here or use your breath to work further.
Camel lunge
Come into a kneeling lunge with your front leg at a right angle and your back foot flat to the floor. Bring your hands to hips, tailbone, or heart and begin to open up the front of the body as you come into a lunging variation of camel pose. Ready to go further? Clasp your hands and begin to draw a line down your back quad, lean your head back, and enjoy the backbend.
Camel dropbacks sans hands
Bring your hands to heart center. Begin to explore with working into the backbend with your head reaching towards the floor. Allow your head to hover {if you pause with your head down it’s difficult to press up without hands} and then lift back up. Take a few passes and then rest in child’s pose.
Waving camel
Start in camel pose, high on your heels. On your inhale, lift your left arm and rotate it in a circle, grazing your palm on your heel {or not} and then coming up to center. Repeat again on the second side. I also lovingly refer to this one as swimming camel. Take a dip!
Reverse camel
From a variation of heros seat, reach back and grab your heels {feet flat or toes tucked}. Begin to lift your hips and enter the backbending shape of camel. Hold, breathe, and enjoy the heart opening qualities.
Most of these variations are best to do with an open back, so pass through some Sun Salutations, some extended passes at cobras, and even some ab work to fire up your midsection. Backbends are yoga’s answer to caffeine and can be stimulating so take it slow + rest when you need to.
