Arm balancing postures rank among the most complicated and frustrating yoga poses to master. Dwi Hasta Bhujasana, or “two hands and arms pose,” is a balancing asana from the book on asana, pranayama, and mudra bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. This asana helps develop strength in the upper body and the concentration needed when moving on to more difficult balancing poses.
If you have wondered how yoga instructors learn how to adequately cue and spot these more advanced balancing poses to keep students safe while sequencing the poses appropriately, this is exactly what is covered during a certified 200 hour yoga instructor training course. You will learn how the spine and joints work in relation to the muscles in order to understand how and what to help students through the practice and poses.
What Is Dwi Hasta Bhujasana?
Dwi Hasta Bhujasana is a balancing asana. Balancing Asanas rely on a specific part of the body for support, while the rest of the body is elevated and resting on the ground. The hands and forearms combine to be the area of support in Dwi Hasta Bhujasana. Balancing Asanas also help with mental focus. Holding this particular balancing asana also requires one to remain focused and have a clear mind, so this is accomplished by maintaining good posture and focusing your gaze at a single point.
How to Practice Dwi Hasta Bhujasana Step by Step
Learning poses like this from a video isn't the same as learning them from a certified teacher who can correct your alignment in real time.
- Establish your base. Get into a squat with your feet apart at about 45 cm. Flatten both palms on the floor between your feet, and separate your fingers for support.
- Pick a spot. Pick a spot in front of you that is consistent and focus on that. This is the drishti which helps to balance
- Move the weight. Slowly shift your weight onto your arms. Put a little more weight onto your right arm first.
- Hook the first leg. With your left leg, lift yourself up off the ground, and hook your leg on your left arm. Place your upper arm against your left thigh.
- Find the balance. Pause here momentarily so your body gets used to this new position and keep yourself balanced by taking constant slow breaths.
- Hook the second leg. When you feel equal weight on your arms, hook your right leg on your right arm also the same way as you did with your left leg.
- Hold the Pose. Shift all your weight onto your arms and hold this position for as long as it is comfortable.
- Release with control. Remove yourself from this position slowing and in reverse order, pause and relax yourself for a while before you switch to the second side.
- Practice this on both sides twice at the most.
Breathing Pattern
Keep the breath natural and unforced throughout — there’s no specialized breath retention or ratio involved in this pose. Steady, normal breathing supports the concentration the pose demands.
What to Practice Afterward
Once you release the pose, it’s traditional to counter the effort with a short rest in Advasana (the reverse corpse pose) or Jyestikasana, allowing the arms, shoulders, and lower back to fully relax before moving on.
Benefits of Dwi Hasta Bhujasana
- Builds arm and shoulder strength. Supporting your full body weight on your hands and forearms gradually strengthens your upper body and improves shoulder joint mobility.
- Improves lower back flexibility. The rounded position of the spine, while entering and remaining in this position, stretches the lower back.
- Supports the health of the abdomen and organs. This position helps to stimulate and massage the pancreas and other internal organs.
Precautions
This is an intermediate-to-advanced arm balance and isn’t suitable for everyone. Avoid practicing Dwi Hasta Bhujasana if you have:
- Sciatica
- A slipped or herniated disc
- A weak or unstable lower back
- A hernia
- Heart conditions
- High blood pressure
As with any inversion or arm balance, it’s best learned under the direct supervision of an experienced teacher who can assess your individual limitations first.
Want to Learn Poses Like This the Right Way?
Reading the steps is a good start, but arm balances like Dwi Hasta Bhujasana are genuinely difficult to self-teach safely. Most students need a trained eye to catch wrist alignment issues, timing, and the right entry point before attempting the full pose.
That’s exactly what a structured, certified training gives you — not just a checklist of poses, but the ability to teach them to others with confidence.
Ready to Go Deeper Than a Blog Post?
Our 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh covers classical balancing asanas like Dwi Hasta Bhujasana in full practicum detail — technique, adjustments, contraindications, and teaching methodology — alongside philosophy, anatomy, and pranayama.
Talk to Our Admissions Team About Your Training GoalsFrequently Asked Questions
Not typically. It requires a reasonable base of arm and core strength and is usually introduced once a student is comfortable with simpler arm balances and inversions — which is why it’s taught progressively within a structured training rather than attempted cold.
Dwi Hasta Bhujasana” translates to “two hands and arms pose,” referring to the two arms that support the entire body in the final position.
Unlike poses where the legs stay extended or lifted in front of the body, here each leg individually hooks around and rests on the corresponding upper arm, which changes both the entry technique and the muscles engaged.
Structured teacher trainings — such as the 200-hour and 300-hour programs offered in Rishikesh — typically include dedicated practicum time for balancing asanas, with instructors correcting alignment live. Explore our program details here.
