Last updated: December 21, 2023
What Does
Celibate’s Pose Mean?
Celibate's pose describes two different seated yoga postures, both of which are believed to restrain or conserve sexual energy. In Sanskrit, both poses are called brahmacharyasana.
One version of celibate's pose is also known as floating stick pose. From stick pose, the arms are straightened and, while maintaining the pose, the body is lifted off the ground.
The other version of celibate's pose begins in thunderbolt pose with the shins and tops of the feet on the ground, and the buttocks resting on the heels. The knees remain together, but the feet are separated and the buttocks rest on the ground between the feet. The arms extend and the hands rest on the knees.
Yogapedia Explains Celibate’s Pose
The floating version of celibate's pose strengthens the arms, shoulders and abdominal muscles. Yogis with shoulder or wrist injuries should skip this posture. To assist with the lift, yoga blocks can be placed aside each hip and the palms placed atop the blocks.
The grounded version of celibate's pose stretches the quadriceps, the hips and the ankles. Yogis with knee, hip or ankle injuries should skip this pose.
Both celibate's poses help to turn sexual energy to subtler energy, thereby improving the yogi's physical, mental and spiritual well-being. They also calm the mind and improve focus.
During These Times of Stress and Uncertainty Your Doshas May Be Unbalanced.
To help you bring attention to your doshas and to identify what your predominant dosha is, we created the following quiz.
Try not to stress over every question, but simply answer based off your intuition. After all, you know yourself better than anyone else.
Synonyms
Celibate Pose
The Continence Position
Continence Pose