In short: wild thing is a one-armed backbend that grows out of side plank: from downward-facing dog you roll onto the outer edge of one foot, step the other foot back behind you, lift the hips and sweep the free arm overhead, so the chest opens to the sky. It asks for wrist and shoulder strength, balance and an open front body. It is a modern pose, popular in vinyasa classes, and not a beginner pose.
Wild thing is playful and expressive, which is a big part of its appeal. It is also easy to collapse into the supporting shoulder. Below we explain the name, the cues that keep the shoulder safe, the precautions, easier options and where you will meet it.
The name: a modern pose with a modern Sanskrit name
“Wild thing” is a modern English name. Yoga Journal gives it the Sanskrit Camatkārāsana, from camatkāra, a word for astonishment or wonder; the magazine also quotes a poetic translation about the “enraptured heart”. The pose does not appear in Light on Yoga or in the classical hatha texts we checked, Yoga International also uses Camatkarasana (it glosses it as “miracle pose” or “surprise pose”), but no older source does, so we treat it as modern usage rather than an established classical name. Yoga International notes the pose is sometimes called “rock star pose”, and teachers may cue it as “flip your dog”; some styles teach a flip dog with small differences in the legs and hips.
How to make wild thing work
Build it from side plank. From downward-facing dog, shift the weight into one hand and roll onto the outer edge of the same-side foot. Press firmly through the supporting hand, with the fingers gripping the mat, and keep the top of that arm bone drawing back into the shoulder socket. Yoga Journal’s sequence is to lift the hips on an inhalation, step the top foot back behind you on an exhalation with the knee partly bent, then curl the upper back into the backbend and reach the top arm overhead.
The pose should feel like the hips and chest lifting, not like hanging from the shoulder. If the supporting shoulder creeps up toward the ear, lift the hips higher or step back to side plank. Let the head follow the upper back only as far as the neck is comfortable. Hold for five to ten breaths, return to downward-facing dog and repeat on the other side.
It helps to build the pose in stages over several sessions. First hold side plank for a few breaths on each side until the supporting shoulder feels stable. Then practise the knee-down version, which teaches the chest-opening turn without the full balance. Only then step the foot back from side plank, keeping the hips high. Yoga Journal’s advice for nervous beginners is to go slowly: open the hip from three-legged dog and lower the foot toward the floor a little more with each inhalation, stopping when it no longer feels comfortable.
Precautions in plain words
Yoga Journal advises avoiding wild thing with carpal tunnel syndrome or rotator cuff injuries. Yoga International points to the load on the front of the supporting shoulder (the biceps tendon), greater than in chaturanga because only one hand is down; keep that shoulder stable and turn the chest up rather than sinking into the joint. Avoid it too with other wrist or shoulder injuries, and take care with neck problems by keeping the head in line. Because it combines a backbend with a one-armed balance, it is best avoided in pregnancy unless your teacher and midwife agree, and it always needs a good warm-up. If you are new to it, try the knee-down version first.
Preparation and what comes next
Prepare with downward-facing dog, three-legged dog with the hip opened, side plank and bow pose. Return to downward-facing dog afterwards and rest in child’s pose. Over time, wild thing can lead toward wheel from a flipped position, which should be learned with a teacher.
Where it is taught
Wild thing is a feature of vinyasa and power yoga classes. It is not part of the Ashtanga series, Light on Yoga or the Sivananda basic asanas.
