Goddess Pose

A wide-legged, turned-out squat that builds heat and inner-thigh strength fast, often used as a held pose or as a bridge between other standing shapes in a flow. It shares some territory with Chair Pose but the turned-out stance changes which muscles are doing the real work.

“Root down through both feet before you reach anything upward.”

The turnout at the hips needs to come from the hip joint itself, not from forcing the knees wider than the hips can actually rotate. When the knees are pushed past what the hip offers, the strain lands in the knee ligaments instead, which is the opposite of what a strengthening pose should do.

To build strength and heat through a wide, turned-out squat, training the inner thighs and glutes together.

1. 1Step the feet wide apart, toes turned out at roughly a 45-degree angle.
2. 2Bend the knees, sinking the hips down and back, tracking the knees directly over the toes.
3. 3Bring the elbows to shoulder height, stacked over the wrists, palms facing forward or fists loosely closed.
4. 4Lengthen the spine tall, tailbone reaching down rather than tucking under sharply.
5. 5Sink a little lower with each exhale, only as far as the knee-toe tracking stays honest.
6. 6Hold, breathing steadily, or pulse gently up and down for a more dynamic version.

Instead of searching for the “correct” position, notice:

• •Knees track directly over the toes throughout, turnout coming from the hips, not forced at the knee joint.
• •Weight even across both feet, spread through all four corners of each one.
• •Spine stays long, not rounding forward or over-arching as the squat deepens.
• •Shoulder blades drawing down the back, away from the ears.

This pose builds heat quickly, and the breath tends to shorten in response. A slow, deliberate exhale on the way down into each pulse, if pulsing, helps keep the effort controlled rather than frantic.

Keep close watch on the knee-toe relationship, especially as fatigue sets in. A knee drifting inward, ahead of where the toes are pointing, is the clearest sign the turnout has been forced past what the hip is offering today. Widening the stance or reducing the turnout angle usually resolves this faster than cueing the knee directly.

Reflect after practising:

• •If your knees want to cave in, a slightly narrower stance or shallower squat protects the joint better than forcing the wide version.
• •The burn through your inner thighs and glutes is expected. Any sharp sensation in the knees is not.

Rather than mistakes, you may notice:

• •Practice the turned-out squat against a wall for postural feedback on how upright the spine can stay through the effort.
• •Pulse a few inches up and down to build heat and strength before settling into a longer static hold.

• •A narrower stance and smaller turnout angle for anyone whose hips don't yet offer much external rotation.
• •Hands at heart center instead of elbows lifted, reducing the shoulder demand while the legs do their work.

• ✓Straighten the legs to standing, or step the feet together into a forward fold to release the hips and inner thighs.