Wrists Bugging You? These 12 Yoga Pose Variations Help You Practice Hands-Free.

The wrists are one the most underappreciated parts of the body. Consider the countless tasks you use them for each day—gripping, lifting, holding, typing. Yet they tend to get far less attention than other parts of the body when it comes to stretching and strengthening. Not to mention how common wrist pain is with one in seven people in the US experiencing wrist arthritis and wrist-related injuries.

Yoga can sometimes be part of the problem given how much time is spent on your hands in the average yoga practice (think Downward-Facing Dog and Plank).

But you don’t have to stop practicing yoga or skip certain poses due to wrist pain. Incorporating wrist-friendly pose variations and stretches into your routine can help yoga can become a source of relief rather than strain.

12 Yoga Pose Variations Help You Practice Hands-Free

Becoming familiar with stretches to ease wrist pain and a few variations for common yoga poses can create a less intense experience on the mat—and that can make all the difference. Practice this sequence as-is at home or use the pose modifications anytime in your regular practice. A couple of yoga blocks are optional but come in handy for adapting several of the stretches to your comfort level.

1. Hand Squeezes

When tight, muscles of the inner forearm contribute to wrist stiffness. This exercise targets the forearms to alleviate tension.

How to:

1. Sit comfortably on your mat with your hands resting on your thighs, palms facing up.
2. As you inhale, spread your fingers wide and stretch them apart.
3. As you exhale, gently squeeze your hands into fists, keeping your wrists straight. Repeat 3-10 times.

2. Wrist Circles

A gentle movement you can return to any time, these wrist circles mobilize the joints of the wrists. Practice them on your mat before any yoga practice.

How to:

1. As you inhale, slowly circle your wrists in one direction while you raise your arms overhead.
2. Exhale and reverse the direction of the wrist circles as you lower your arms. Repeat 2-5 times.

3. Chaturanga Arms

One of the most difficult poses for those with wrist pain is Chatarunga. This variation helps strengthen the same muscles in the shoulders without putting as much pressure on the wrists.

How to:

1. Sit on the mat. Grip a yoga block between your palms and straighten your arms in front of your chest.
2. Squeeze the block between your hands. Draw your shoulders away from your ears.
3. Exhale and draw the block toward your body near your belly button. Squeeze your elbows toward your sides as you would in Chaturanga. Keep squeezing the block.
4. Inhale and straighten your arms in front of your chest again. Repeat 3-6 times.

4. Forearm Cat-Cow

Any pose that requires you to be on your hands and knees can be adjusted to avoid wrist strain.

How to:

1. Kneel on the mat and place 2 yoga blocks on medium height about 12 inches apart in front of you. The blocks should be parallel to each other. Wrap your thumbs around the inside of each block, resting your fingers on the outside. Or rest your forearms on the blocks and let your hands hang over the far edge.
2. Come into Tabletop. Press your hands or forearms into the blocks, lift your chin, and arch your back in Cat Pose.
3. Draw your chin toward your chest and your navel toward your spine, rounding the back in Cow Pose. Repeat as many times as is comfortable.

5. Downward-Facing Dog Variation

One of the most common poses that triggers wrist pain is Down Dog. This variation eases the load on your wrists.

How to:

1. Come into Downward-Facing Dog but place your forearms on the mat rather than your palms. (This is also known as Dolphin Pose.)
2. Squeeze your elbows toward each other. Draw your heels toward the mat (they don’t have to touch) and relax your neck. Stay here for 3-5 breaths.

6. Forearm Plank

Plank is tough on wrists. If lowering your knees to the mat doesn’t bring enough relief, try this variation for a more supportive approach.

How to:

1. From the Downward-Facing Dog variation, shift your weight forward onto your forearms and lower your hips until your body is in one straight line from the crown of your head to your heels in Forearm Plank.
2. Draw your navel toward your spine and press your forearms and balls of your feet into the mat as you reach your heels toward the wall behind you. Stay here for 2-3 breaths.

7. Sphinx Pose

Instead of coming into Upward-Facing Dog, practice Sphinx Pose to give your wrists a break.

How to:

1. From Forearm Plank, exhale and lower yourself to the mat. Prop yourself up on your forearms, lifting your chest and drawing your shoulders away from your ears. Press your thumbs against the mat in Sphinx Pose. Stay here for 2-3 breaths. Repeat Downward-Facing Dog, Forearm Plank, and Sphinx as a vinyasa flow variation or proceed to the next pose.

8. Child’s Pose With Wrist Circles

Whenever you come into Child’s Pose, you can sneak in some wrist stretches.

How to:

1. From Sphinx Pose, press your forearms into the mat as you shift your hips back toward your feet. Lower your chest toward the mat and walk your fingertips forward.
2. Turn your palms up toward the ceiling and bend your elbows, lifting your hands overhead. Gently circle your wrists a few times in each direction.

9. Hand to Foot Variation

The traditional version of this posture, in which you slide your hands underneath your feet, palms facing up, is a fairly intense stretch. This wrist-friendly approach is far gentler.

How to:

1. Come into Standing Forward Bend. Rest the backs of your hands on blocks or on the tops of your feet, palms facing up. Stay here for 2-3 breaths.
2. If it’s comfortable, bend your knees as much as you need to so the backs of your hands touch the mat. Lift your feet and slide your palms underneath. Alternate between gently pressing the ball of your right foot against your right palm and pressing the ball of your left foot against your left palm. Gently wiggle your toes to massage your palms. Stay here for 2-3 breaths.
3. Release your variation of Hand to Foot Pose. Come into Standing Half Forward Bend, then sit on the mat

10. Forearm Side Plank

Side Plank can feel unattainable when you’re experiencing wrist pain, but this version takes the weight off them.

How to:

1. Kneel on the mat. Rest your left forearm on the mat or a block on its lowest level so you’re lying on your side and facing the right side of the mat.
2. Straighten your legs to form one long line from your feet to your head. Roll onto the outer edges of your feet and stagger your right foot in front of your left.
3. Press your forearm against the mat or block and lift your hips in Forearm Side Plank. (For a less intense version, rest your left knee on the mat.) Reach your right arm toward the ceiling and draw your bottom shoulder away from your ear. Stay here for 3-4 breaths.
4. For an added challenge, exhale and lower your right hand underneath your left armpit in a Thread the Needle motion. Inhale and reach your right hand back toward the ceiling. Repeat 3 times and switch sides.

11. Wrist Nerve Gliding

Some wrist pain can be the result of muscle tension in the shoulders and neck. This exercise targets the median nerve in the upper arm, which connects to the muscles in the wrist and hand, in an attempt to release that tension. This can easily be incorporated into seated stretches before or after a yoga practice.

How to:

1. Sit cross-legged on the mat and extend your left arm out to the side with your fingers pointing toward the ceiling and your palm facing away from you. Stretch your fingers wide. Rest your right hand on your thigh.
2. Inhale and turn your left arm so your fingers point toward the back of the room. As you do this, slowly turn your head away from your arm to look toward the right.
3. Exhale and turn your left arm so your fingers point toward the front of the room. As you do this, turn your head to look toward your hand. Repeat 3-10 times, then switch sides.

12. Sandhi Mudra

This hand position physically strengthens the muscles in the hand and wrist. It’s also believed to energetically create space in joints throughout the body.

How to:

1. Sit comfortably on the mat. Gently press together your right thumb and ring finger.
2. Gently press together the thumb and middle finger on your left hand.
3. Rest both hands in your lap with your palms facing up. If it’s comfortable, close your eyes. Stay here for 10-20 breaths.