Q.Identify the asana : [Figure: image of a person performing an asana] (A) Ardh Matsyendrasana (B) Dhanurasana (C) Uttan Mandukasana (D) Yogmudra OR (For Visually Impaired Candidates Only) Which one of the following positions is related to Yog Mudra ? (A) Sit in Padmasana, clasp wrists over the head, bend forward and touch the forehead to the floor (B) Sit in Padmasana, clasp wrists behind the back, bend forward and touch the forehead to the floor (C) Sit in Vajrasana, clasp wrists behind the back, bend forward and touch the forehead to the floor (D) Sit in Vajrasana, clasp wrists over the head, bend forward and touch the forehead to the floor

The figure shows a kneeling asana on a Vajrasana base — sitting back on the heels with the knees apart, the spine erect and the arms taken up and behind the head with the hands clasped so the chest opens. Among the four options this is Uttan Mandukasana, the stretched-up frog pose. The companion item for visually-impaired candidates asks separately about Yog Mudra. …

Identifying the figure — Uttan Mandukasana (C)

The posture is performed from a kneeling (Vajrasana) base: the person sits back on the heels with the knees spread apart, keeps the spine erect, and takes the arms up and behind the head with the hands clasped, so that the chest is drawn open and lifted. This chest-opening kneeling shape is Uttan Mandukasana, the stretched-up frog pose.

The other options look clearly different:

• (A) Ardh Matsyendrasana — a seated half spinal twist, one leg folded across and the trunk rotated to the side.
• (B) Dhanurasana — the bow pose: lying face-down and gripping the ankles so the whole body arches.
• (D) Yogmudrasana — seated in Padmasana with the wrists clasped behind the back, bending forward toward the floor.

Visually-impaired alternative — Yog Mudra (B) …