Dolphin Pose (Crocodile pose) — Makarasana
Dolphin Pose is a great alternative to Downward-Facing Dog if you have wrist pain or want to build more heat in the body. It’s a juicy shoulder opener and strength builder all in one. This pose strengthens the arms, shoulders, abdominals, upper back and thighs, and it stretches the shoulders, chest, spine, abdominals, and back of legs.
- Begin in Downward-Facing Dog. Look in between hands, externally rotate upper arms by wrapping biceps forward and triceps back, and lower down onto forearms simultaneously or one at a time. For an easier entry, begin on hands and knees. Place forearms either parallel or in a V-Shape, tuck toes and lift hips.
- With forearms parallel to each other, notice the angle of your hands. If hands easily lay flat and point straight forward, shoulders are open enough for forearms to stay parallel. If hands want to angle outward, opt to connect hands, interlaced or in prayer, with forearms making a V-shape.
- Walk feet a few inches closer to your head without losing the neutral pelvic tilt of sit bones angled skyward. Press down and through outer forearms to draw shoulder blades apart and toward hips and chest toward thighs. Firm thighs and keep neck long between arms.
Catalog
Yoga Poses
- English names
- Sanskrit names
- Bharadvaja’s Twist
- Bird of Paradise Pose
- Boat Pose
- Bound Angle Headstand Pose
- Bound Angle Pose
- Bound half moon
- Bow Pose
- Bridge Pose
- Camel Pose
- Chair Pose
- Child’s Pose
- Cobra Pose
- Cockerel pose
- Compass Pose
- Corpse Pose
- Cow Face Pose
- Crane (Crow) Pose
- Default
- Dolphin Pose (Crocodile pose)
- Downward-Facing Dog
- Eagle Pose
- Easy Pose
- Eight-Angle Pose
- Extended Puppy Pose
- Extended Side Angle Pose
- Extended Triangle Pose
- Feathered Peacock Pose
- Firefly Pose
- Fish Pose
- Flying crow pose
- Flying Pigeon Pose
- Four-Limbed Staff Pose
- Frog Pose
- Garland Pose
- Gate Pose
- Goddess pose
- Half bow
- Half Frog Pose
- Half hero stretch
- Half Lord of the Fishes Pose
- Half Moon Pose
- Half pigeon pose
- Hand-To-Big-Toe Pose
- Handstand
- Happy Baby Pose
- Head-to-Knee Forward Bend
- Hero Pose
- Heron Pose
- High lunge pose
- Intense Side Stretch Pose
- King cobra pose
- King Pigeon Pose
- Locust Pose
- Lord of the Dance Pose
- Lotus in peacock pose
- Lotus in Shoulderstand Pose
- Lotus Pose
- Low Lunge
- Marichi’s Pose
- Monkey Pose
- Noose Pose
- One hand on knee
- One Leg Behind the Head
- One legged bridge
- One legged downward-Facing dog
- One Legged Inverted Staff Pose
- One legged wheel
- One-Legged King Pigeon Pose
- One-Legged King Pigeon Pose II
- One-legged side plank pose
- Palm tree pose
- Peacock Pose
- Plank Pose
- Plow Pose
- Pose of the month
- Reclined hero pose
- Reclined Thunderbolt Pose
- Reverse prayer pose
- Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose
- Revolved Side Angle Pose
- Revolved Triangle Pose
- Sage Koundinya I
- Sage Koundinya II
- Sage Marichi I
- Scale Pose
- Scorpion Pose
- Seated Forward Bend
- Shoulder-Pressing Pose
- Side Crane (Crow) Pose
- Side Plank Pose
- Side-Reclining Leg Lift
- Sideways Bound Angle Headstand
- Sphinx Pose
- Standing bend
- Standing compass pose
- Standing Forward Bend
- Standing Split
- Supported Headstand
- Supported Shoulderstand
- Tiptoe pose
- Tortoise Pose
- Tree Pose
- Unsupported head stand
- Upward Bow (Wheel) Pose
- Upward facing two-foot staff pose
- Upward Forward Bend Pose
- Upward Plank Pose
- Upward stretch
- Upward-Facing Dog Pose
- Warrior I Pose
- Warrior II Pose
- Warrior III Pose
- Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend
- Wide-Legged Forward Bend
- Wild Thing
- Yoga Performance
- Yoga video
- Bharadvajasana I
- Svarga Dvidasana
- Paripurna Navasana
- Baddha Kona Sirsasana
- Baddha Konasana
- Baddha ardha chandrasana
- Dhanurasana
- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
- Ustrasana
- Utkatasana
- Balasana
- Bhujangasana
- Kukkutasana
- Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana
- Savasana
- Gomukhasana
- Bakasana
- Makarasana
- Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Garudasana
- Sukhasana
- Astavakrasana
- Uttana Shishosana
- Utthita Parsvakonasana
- Utthita Trikonasana
- Pincha Mayurasana
- Tittibhasana
- Matsyasana
- Eka pada galavasana
- Eka Pada Galavasana
- Chaturanga Dandasana
- Bhekasana
- Malasana
- Parighasana
- Utkata Konasana
- Ardha dhanurasana
- Ardha Bhekasana
- Ardha Virasana
- Ardha Matsyendrasana
- Ardha Chandrasana
- Ardha kapotasana
- Utthita Hasta Padangustasana
- Adho Mukha Vrksasana
- Ananda Balasana
- Janu Sirsasana
- Virasana
- Krounchasana
- Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana
- Parsvottanasana
- Raja Bhujangasana
- Kapotasana
- Shalabasana
- Natarajasana
- Padma mayurasana
- Padma Sarvangasana
- Padmasana
- Anjaneyasana
- Marichyasana III
- Hanumanasana
- Pasasana
- Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana
- Eka Pada Sirsasana
- Eka Pada Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
- Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Eka Pada Viparita Daṇḍasana
- Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana
- Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
- Eka Pada Vasisthasana
- Tadasana
- Mayurasana
- Kumbhakasana
- Halasana
- Stupasana
- Supta virasana
- Supta Vajrasana
- Paschima namaskarasana
- Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana
- Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
- Parivrtta Trikonasana
- Eka Pada Koundinyasana I
- Eka Pada Koundinyanasana II
- Marichyasana I
- Tolasana
- Vrschikasana
- Paschimottanasana
- Bhujapidasana
- Parsva Bakasana
- Vasisthasana
- Anantasana
- Parsva Baddha Koṇasana Sīrsasana
- Salamba Bhujangasana
- Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana
- Trivikramasana
- Uttanasana
- Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana
- Salamba Sirsasana
- Salamba Sarvangasana
- Prapadasana
- Kurmasana
- Vrksasana
- Niralamba sirsasana
- Urdhva Dhanurasana
- Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana
- Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana
- Purvottanasana
- Urdhvasana
- Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
- Virabhadrasana I
- Virabhadrasana II
- Virabhadrasana III
- Upavistha Konasana
- Prasarita Padottanasana
- Camatkarasana
- Yoga Performance
- Yoga Poses
- Dolphin Pose (Crocodile pose)