Crocodile Pose is a deeply restorative pose that relaxes the entire nervous system and is an excellent posture to use in between back-strengthening poses. Practicing Crocodile Pose can help facilitate diaphragmatic breathing, tone the vagus nerve, and calm the nervous system to induce a relaxation response.

Crocodile Pose gets its name from the Sanskrit words Makarasana (Mah-car-ah-SUN-uh). Makara means crocodile, and asana means pose.

Level of Difficulty: Beginner

Crocodile Pose benefits

Practicing Crocodile Pose while focusing on breathing helps relieve tension-prone areas affected by bad breathing habits, bad posture, and weak or tight muscles along the spine. Here are some of the many benefits gained with a Crocodile Pose practice.

• Provides deep relaxation

• Releases tension in the back

• Relieves stress

• Reduces anxiety

• Helps regulate blood pressure

• It can also help facilitate diaphragmatic breathing for some

Precautions for practicing Crocodile Pose

• Pregnancy

• Pre-existing pain or conditions related to the spine, neck, and shoulders

Preparatory poses

• Cobra Pose

• Locust Pose

• Superman Pose

Crocodile Pose step-by-step instructions 

Crocodile Pose full version

1. Lie on your yoga mat on your belly.

2. Turn your feet out with your toes turned away from the body.

3. Stack your arms in front of your head.

4. Rest your head on the yoga mat and relax into the pose.

Resting Crocodile Pose

1. Lie on your yoga mat on your stomach. 

2. Bend your right leg, creating a 45-degree angle with your thigh and calf. 

3. Allow your left leg to lie straight behind you.

4. Place your left cheek on your mat and gaze to the right.

5. Place your hands underneath your left cheek, creating a pillow. 

6. Rest in this pose for a minute or more. Breathe deeply.

7. Repeat on the other side.

Follow-up poses for Crocodile Pose

• Child’s Pose 

• Corpse Pose 

Modifications, variations, and add-ons

To modify: 

• If you have knee issues, lie with both legs straight behind you

• If resting on the belly is uncomfortable, try the Corpse Pose, where you only rest on the back

• Place a folded blanket under your upper chest to reduce pressure on the stomach area

Variation:

• Lie on your belly with your forehead resting on the mat and arms by your side. As you exhale, lift your head, legs, and upper torso. Breathing in, raise your arms up and grasp your hands behind the head. Keep breathing while you hold the pose, and take care not to strain your back. On an exhalation, relax the arms and bring your head, legs, and upper torso back down to the mat.

Add-ons:

Diaphragmatic breathing

1. While in Crocodile Pose, relax your shoulders, head, and neck.

2. Take a long, deep breath through your nose and fill your lungs up completely.

3. As the lungs become fully filled, the diaphragm moves down, expanding the abdomen and sides of the waist. The chest should remain relatively still.

4. Exhale slowly through pursed lips (as if your lips are holding a straw in your mouth) for the count of four or six. Feel the abdomen narrowing and gently getting pulled towards your spine. 

Ocean breath
This breathing technique has many names. In Sanskrit, ocean breath is called Ujjayi (ooh-JAI-ye). Ujjayi means victory and refers to overcoming too many thoughts. Victory breath is the perfect breathing technique to use while practicing yoga. Watch this video to learn how to practice ocean breath.

Yoga sequences
Crocodile Pose Makarasana is part of the yoga sequence called Padma Sadhana. Learn more here.

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