In short: dragonfly, also called straddle, is the yin wide-legged seated fold. You sit on a cushion with the legs apart, fold forward onto the hands, elbows or a bolster, and let the back round and the legs relax for several minutes.
Below: how it differs from seated wide angle pose, the props that make it work for tight hamstrings, knee safety and coming out.
The name and the related asana
Dragonfly is an English yin name, and Bernie Clark gives straddle as its other name; neither has Sanskrit. The legs match seated wide angle pose (Upaviṣṭha Koṇāsana), but the yin version lets the back round and the legs soften, and stays much longer. It is not related to dragon, despite the name.
Setting up with props
Sit on a cushion: Clark notes it helps the hips tilt forward. Open the legs only as wide as is comfortable. If the hamstrings are tight, bend the knees generously or put a bolster under the thighs. Fold forward onto straight arms, or rest the elbows on a block or bolster, and support the head in the hands if needed.
Why dragonfly feels hard at first, and what helps
Bernie Clark is frank that dragonfly is very frustrating for beginners. The inner thigh muscles attach near the sitting bones, just as the hamstrings do, so when the legs open wide they tug on the sitting bones and the top of the pelvis tips back. The result is that you sit on the back of the pelvis and cannot fold, however hard you try. Forcing it does not help; patience and a few props do.
- Sit higher. A bolster or a firm cushion under the sitting bones lets the pelvis tip forward. Before you fold, you can even draw the flesh of the buttocks back and out so you sit on the front of the sitting bones.
- Do not chase width. Clark gives 90 degrees between the legs as plenty, with up to 120 degrees for experienced students. A full side split is not needed.
- Bend the knees a lot if you are stiff. It is fine to have the feet flat on the floor. With bent knees and a raised seat, the body can lean forward and let gravity do the work instead of the muscles.
- Bring the floor up. If you fold a long way, slide a bolster under the chest. If the head feels heavy, rest it in the hands.
Variations within the hold
Because the hold is long, Clark often splits it. You might spend the first half folding forward and the second half in a twist: fold over one leg and turn the chest toward the ceiling, or sit up tall and twist. Folding over one leg on its own gives more stretch to the spine and the back of that leg. The arms can rest on a bolster, on the floor in front of you or behind your back. Whatever you choose, change position slowly, and only when the sensation has settled.
The long hold
Yoga Journal’s tight-hips sequence folds to the first edge and stays three to five minutes. Sarah Powers aims for five minutes or more and comes all the way down onto the belly only if it feels natural; Clark gives three to ten minutes. If the knees feel unstable, Powers suggests lifting the chest a little and engaging the thighs from time to time.
Coming out and the rebound
Push the floor away and roll up slowly. Clark has you lean back on the hands, tighten the leg muscles and bring the legs together, then shake them out. Windshield-wiper knees, a cross-legged seated backbend or tabletop are his suggested counterposes.
Clark’s instruction to roll up slowly is half a joke and half serious: he calls it a test, and popping up quickly misses the point of the practice. The legs often feel stiff after a long straddle, so take your time bringing them together.
Precautions in plain words
Clark notes dragonfly can aggravate sciatica (sit higher or skip it) and is not for backs that should not round. For the inner knees, bring the legs closer or firm the thighs. In pregnancy the wide legs leave room for the belly; stay fairly upright on a bolster. This page is general information, not individual advice.
Before, after and where it is taught
Butterfly and half butterfly often come first, as in Sarah Powers’s low-back sequence, and caterpillar after. The standing cousin is wide-legged forward bend. You will meet it in yin yoga classes, which hold mostly floor poses for several minutes with the muscles relaxed, and in some gentle and restorative classes.
