Utthan Pristhasana — Elevated Hands: A Complete Guide to Lizard — Hands on Blocks

Quick Intro

Utthan Pristhasana — Elevated Hands (Lizard — Hands on Blocks in English) is a yoga exercise performed as Utthan Pristhasana with both hands raised on blocks instead of resting flat on the floor.

Equipment Needed

Utthan Pristhasana — Elevated Hands needs two yoga blocks. A yoga mat is optional and gives the back knee somewhere softer to rest.

Why Utthan Pristhasana — Elevated Hands Matters

The added height lets the torso stay more upright while the same hip-opening muscles still work: the front of the hip (hip flexors, iliopsoas) and inner thigh (adductors) still stretch as the hips sink toward the blocks, and the seat (gluteus maximus) still lengthens across the bent front hip. The front of the thigh (quadriceps, rectus femoris) still lengthens on the extended back leg, just through a shallower range than the floor-level version.

Flexibility is the main demand, eased by the height of the blocks.

When to Do It

Utthan Pristhasana — Elevated Hands works well for anyone whose hands can’t yet reach the floor comfortably in the full pose, and it delivers a hip-flexor and groin stretch before that range is available. Most sessions building toward the floor-level version can use this block-supported entry for as many weeks as needed.

• A hip crease tight enough that reaching the floor rounds the upper back. The blocks close that gap without asking the spine to compensate.
• A desire to keep the torso upright while still working the same deep hip stretch. The added height makes that upright posture considerably more achievable.
• Building patience with a gradual hip-opening goal. How soon the blocks come out matters far less than the hips still sinking at every height.

For most people, this version delivers the hip-flexor and groin stretch the floor-level pose is meant to provide, and a torso that stays upright throughout matters more than how low the blocks sit.

Getting Ready

A low lunge, held for a breath or two with the front knee stacked over the ankle, previews the base shape this version builds from. Setting both blocks at a comfortable height beforehand means the hands never have to search for support mid-descent.

Keep the front foot wide of the block-supported hands so the hips can keep sinking toward the floor, even with the hands raised up on blocks.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. The setup. Set two blocks inside where the front foot will land, at a comfortable starting height.

2. The lunge. Step into a low lunge, front foot wide enough to leave room for the blocks.

3. The hands. Place one hand on each block.

4. The lower. Let the hips ease down toward the blocks, chest staying lifted.

5. The exit. Return to a low lunge and switch sides.

How Many, How Often

Utthan Pristhasana — Elevated Hands is dosed by breath count, since a steady breath maintains the hip-opening stretch through the held, elevated lunge.

Letting the hips continue sinking toward the blocks matters more here than how tall the blocks sit, since propping the torso high without the hips sinking trades away the hip-flexor stretch.

Modifications and Variations

Utthan Pristhasana — Elevated Hands sits at the accessible end of its own progression, with one clear harder step beyond it.

For more difficulty, Utthan Pristhasana removes the blocks entirely, asking the hands to rest directly on the floor with the same deep hip-flexor demand this version eases.

Progression path: Utthan Pristhasana — Elevated Hands → Utthan Pristhasana → Utthan Pristhasana — Forearms Down

Lower the block height gradually across sessions only as the hips allow, since dropping it too soon just reintroduces the strain this version exists to remove.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Setting the blocks too tall and letting the hips stay high instead of sinking. This defeats the entire purpose of the pose, since the stretch depends on the hips lowering, not the hands staying elevated. Choosing a block height that still lets the hips sink is the direct fix.

Placing the front foot too close to the blocks. This forces the front knee inward as the hips try to sink lower, the same risk the floor-level version carries. Walking the foot wider of the blocks protects the knee directly.

Removing the blocks before the hips allow it. Moving to the floor-level version too early just brings back the same strain this version exists to avoid. A gradual descent in block height, week over week, is the safer approach.

Letting the chest collapse toward the blocks. A collapsed chest shortens the hip-flexor stretch this pose depends on. Keeping the torso lifted, even with the hands elevated, is the more useful cue.

After Your Set

Stepping back to a low lunge and pressing up into a standing forward fold releases the hips after the elevated lunge. Rocking the hips gently side to side for a few breaths settles the front hip crease before moving on.

Going Deeper

This version rewards patience over a fixed timeline, staying in use for however many weeks the hips need. The most common way it stalls isn’t hip tightness by itself, but setting the blocks too tall so the hips stay propped up above them, which quietly removes the exact stretch this version is meant to deliver. Checking that the hips keep sinking, every single session regardless of block height, is what keeps this version doing its job.

Someone new to this pose generally settles into a comfortable 3-breath hold with taller blocks within the first one to two weeks, and reaches a steady 5-breath hold with lower blocks somewhere in the three to five week range.

How to Know You’re Improving

1. A 3-breath hold with the hips actively sinking toward the blocks
2. A front knee that stays tracking directly over the foot as the hips lower
3. A 5-breath hold at a progressively lower block height
4. A clear readiness to try the pose with the hands on the floor

Hips continuing to sink toward the support, not how tall the blocks sit, is what progress looks like here.

Muscles Worked

• Iliopsoas (the hip flexor group at the front of the hip, stretched to a shallower depth with the hands raised)
• Adductors (the inner thigh muscles, opened as the front knee tracks out to the side)
• Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, lengthened across the front hip)
• Rectus Femoris (a front thigh muscle that crosses both the hip and knee, lengthened down the rear thigh as the hips stay higher)

FAQ

Is this version just a beginner’s stepping stone, or a legitimate way to practice long-term? Long-term, yes. Tight hips on any given day are a normal reason to reach for the blocks, regardless of experience level.

Why do my hips stay high even with the blocks in place? This usually means the blocks are set taller than the hips need, or the front foot sits too close to them. Checking both, and adjusting one at a time, usually resolves it.

How do I know when I’m ready to try the floor-level version? Once the block height needed for a comfortable sink gets low and stays consistent across sessions, the floor-level pose is usually within reach.

Can I use thick books instead of proper yoga blocks? Yes, any firm, stable support at the right height works, provided it won’t slip or compress under the hands’ weight.

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Next in this series: Utthan Pristhasana, the floor-level version this block-supported entry builds toward.