SANSKRIT NAME
- Prasarita Padottonasana
ALIGNMENT & VARIATIONS
- Standing with legs wide, toes pointing forward, hands on hips
- Inhale spine long, draw belly button back towards spine
- Exhale, fold forward, chest leading forward
- Palms down on mat, directly underneath shoulders, elbows drawing in at 90 degrees
- Side waists long, spine long, neck and head relaxed
- Thighs engaged, micro-bend the knees, outside edges of feet grounding down
- Shoulders relaxed down away from the ears, chest open
- Sit bones spread and pushing up towards the sky
- Every exhale, gently push the mat away with the palms, drawing the chest back towards the shins, drawing the crown of the head down towards the mat
- Option 1: If fingers can’t reach mat, lightly hold onto a block, keeping the shoulders down and spine long, chest open. It’s more important to keep a long spine here than have the fingertips reaching the mat but back rounded out.
- Option 2: To increase the hamstring stretch, bring hands to outside edges of calves or ankles, drawing crown of the head down with every exhale. Keep shoulders relaxed, shoulder blades drawing down the back.
- Option 3: (Not pictured) For an extra shoulder stretch, interlace the fingers at the base of the spine and allow the arms to drop overhead
BENEFITS
- Opens and stretches arms, shoulders, back body, hips, groin, hamstrings, calves and ankles
- Strengthens arms, shoulders, thighs, calves and ankles
- A slight inversion, allowing fresh oxygenated blood to circulate to brain
Option: If fingers can’t reach mat, lightly hold onto a block, keeping the shoulders down and spine long, chest open.
It’s more important to keep a long spine here than have the fingertips reaching the mat but back rounded out.
Option: Bring palms of hands down, directly underneath the shoulders. Keep elbows drawing in at a 90 degree angle. Push the mat away with the palms, draw the chest back towards the shins, and draw the crown of the head down towards the mat.
Option: To increase the hamstring stretch, bring hands to outside edges of calves or ankles, drawing crown of the head down with every exhale. Keep shoulders relaxed, shoulder blades drawing down the back.