Yoga Journal revives Judith Hanson Lasater on Gate Pose and breath

Yoga practice spends a lot of time moving forward, folding back, and turning around itself. Gate Pose, or Parighasana, is the reminder that the sides of the body deserve attention too, and Yoga Journal’s archive revival makes that case with unusual clarity. The pose is not just a nice stretch. It is one of the few shapes that asks the rib cage, the breath, and the low back to work together.

Why this archive revival matters

Yoga Journal says its archives series is a curated collection of articles first published in past issues beginning in 1975, and this Lasater piece was pulled back into circulation on June 5, 2026 after first appearing in the 1985 issue. That matters because the argument inside it still feels pointed now: modern practice can get crowded with vinyasa transitions, backbends, forward folds, and twists, while true side-bending gets sidelined.

Judith Hanson Lasater is the right person to make the argument. She has taught since 1971, helped found the San Francisco Iyengar Yoga Institute and Yoga Journal, and wrote the magazine’s asana column for 13 years. This is not a casual endorsement of a trendy shape. It is a teacher with decades of experience saying that the overlooked planes of movement deserve a place in a balanced practice.

What Gate Pose actually develops

Gate Pose is valuable because it creates a deep lateral stretch along the side body, including the intercostal muscles between the ribs. Yoga Journal’s newer pose coverage makes the same anatomical point more directly: the pose targets the intercostals, which can become weak from poor posture, and side-stretching poses improve rib cage mobility and the expansiveness of the lungs. That is why the shape shows up in breath work as much as in mobility work.

The payoff is broader than just a satisfying side stretch. Yoga Journal’s side-bending coverage notes that these shapes lengthen the muscles between the ribs and pelvis, including parts of the low back, and can also stretch the latissimus dorsi in some variations. The magazine also links side-bending to rotation, noting that spinal side-bending and twisting are related movements, so gains in one area can help the other. Gate Pose also stretches and strengthens the obliques while stimulating the abdominal organs, which is one reason it has always been more than a cosmetic pose.

There is a breathing case here too. A more open side body gives the lungs room to expand, which can support pranayama and make breathing feel easier in everyday activity. Yoga Journal’s anatomy coverage even connects side-stretching with aerobic work, since a freer rib cage helps the body tolerate fuller, less restricted breathing under load.

How to keep the shape honest

Gate Pose is easy to underestimate, and that is usually where the form breaks down. The pose stops doing its job when it turns into a lopsided forward fold, when the top shoulder collapses, or when the torso twists away from the true side bend. The goal is not to crank the arm overhead and hunt for depth. The goal is to keep both sides of the rib cage awake.

A cleaner practice usually comes down to a few simple checks:

• Keep the side body long instead of dumping weight into the lower ribs.

• Let the breath widen the intercostal spaces instead of forcing the torso deeper.

• Avoid turning the posture into a twist, especially if one shoulder starts rolling forward.

• Use the legs and hips to anchor the shape so the stretch stays honest in the torso.

Those cues matter because Gate Pose is supposed to reveal the whole side seam of the body, from the ribs to the pelvis. If the movement is rushed, the stretch gets lost in the arms and shoulders, and the pose stops being a true lateral bend.

Who should modify it, and how

Anyone with a sensitive low back, limited side-body mobility, or difficulty breathing deeply in the shape should scale it down. Shorten the stance, reduce the depth of the bend, or keep the top arm lower so the side ribs can stay broad. If the ribs pinch or the breath becomes choppy, that is a sign to back off rather than push through.

The same caution applies if you are already tight through the quadratus lumborum or if the pose starts to feel more like compression than opening. Gate Pose is meant to lengthen and organize the side body, not jam it open. A smaller version done with control is more useful than a dramatic shape that steals the breath.

Why Lasater’s framing still lands

Lasater does not treat the pose like a mechanical checklist. She frames it as a lesson in integration, balance, flexibility, and stillness, which is exactly why the shape holds up so well outside the archive. The point is not perfect geometry for its own sake. It is the ability to bring body and mind into the same quiet field of attention.

The Sanskrit name adds another layer. Parigha means gate, crossbar, or the bar used to close a gate, and the pose itself is not known before the 20th century, with some scholarship linking similar shapes to early-20th-century gymnastics culture. That history fits the posture’s feel: simple, grounded, and more demanding than it looks.

For a practice that leans hard on forward bends, backbends, and twists, Gate Pose is the corrective that gives the ribs room and the breath somewhere to go. One careful side-bend on each side is enough to remind you that a balanced practice is not just about where the body goes, but where the breath can finally spread.