Yoga Glossary · Joint Actions
External rotation
Rotating a limb outward, away from the midline — the thigh turning out in Warrior II.
External (lateral) rotation turns the front of a limb away from the body's midline, like a leg turning out from the hip. It is produced by muscles at the back of the joint — in the hip, the deep external rotators and gluteals; in the shoulder, the back of the rotator cuff.
Turnout in Warrior II and Triangle is hip external rotation, and it is what lets the front knee track over the toes instead of caving in. At the shoulder, external rotation — corkscrewing the upper arms in Down Dog — centers the joint and makes room in the socket. The amount available varies a lot by skeleton, which is why teachers cue the action, not a universal foot angle.
In practice
- Warrior II's front knee tracking toward the little-toe side is external rotation doing its job.
- In Down Dog, rotating the upper arms outward (biceps turning forward) protects the shoulders.
- Turnout comes from the hip, not from torquing the knee or screwing the foot into the floor.
Poses built on this action
- Warrior II
- Reverse Warrior
- Extended Side Angle
- Triangle Pose
- Tree Pose
- Bridge Pose
- Half Pigeon
- Reclined Bound Angle
- Happy Baby
- Corpse Pose
- Easy Pose
Related terms
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The Yoga Glossary is an educational study reference. Definitions are standard yoga and anatomy knowledge in plain language; nothing here is medical advice.