Wide Legged Standing Forward Bend Pose

Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend Pose.

by Steve Johansen, Hummingbird Pilates and Yoga

 

My pose of the month is Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend Pose. In Sanskrit it’s called Prasarita Padottanasana (pra-sa-REE-tah-pah-doh-than-AHS-anna). Prasarita means extended, Pada is foot, Utta is intense stretch and Asana is Pose.

I do this pose everyday either in my own practice or when teaching. I love it for its’ benefits and versatility. The width of the stance allows an openness of the hips enabling you to gently stretch the hamstrings without putting undue stress on the lower back. It also allows for easy transitions between this and other poses. Its’ other benefits include: improving balance and leg strength, and as a yoga pose which is inverted, it is suggested that it is a great pose for reducing stress, anxiety and depression. I often feel calmer and more relaxed having included this inversion within my own practice.

 

Where to start

•         Start in Tadasana (tah-DAH-sah-nah) or Mountain Pose in the middle of the mat, facing to one side.
•         Standing tall strong and immovable like a mountain, with the feet hip width apart.
•         Soften the knees, tightening the fronts of the thighs, helping you to stand a little taller.
•         Roll the pelvis slightly, engaging abdominal and pelvic floor muscles or Mula Bandha,
•         Establish a long slow, steady breath to relax and quieten your mind.
•         Relaxing the shoulders and stretching the arms down by the side of your body.
•         Find your Dristi, a focused gaze at eye height.

 

To get into Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend Pose:

On your next exhalation:

•         Step the feet leg length apart, placing the hands on the hips, keeping your toes pointing to the side of the mat.
•         Gound the 4 corners of the feet.
•         Take a long slow inbreath, maintaining Mountain in the torso and your core engaged.
•         On your next outbreath, soften the knees and fold forward at the hips.
•         Bringing the fingertips to the mat underneath the shoulders.

On your next inhalation:

•         Keep your core strong, and length though the spine, and maintain your Dristi, directly downward.
•         Tighten and engage the front of your thighs, lifting your kneecaps to stretch the backs of your thighs.
•         Keep the weight evenly distributed on your feet and the toes pointing to the side of the mat.
•         Resit the tendency to push the hips backwards or forwards.

On your next exhalation:

•         With your fingers pointing to the side, soften the elbow, keeping them above the wrists.
•         Ease yourself deeper into the stretch, by allowing the crown of your head to sink downward.
•         Slowly over time you maybe able work your hands backwards until the heels of your hands are in line with the heels of your feet.

Coming out of the pose, on your next inhalation:

•         Soften the knees, keeping the core strong, bring your hands to your hips and slowly pivot from the hips to come to standing.
•         Either heal-toe your feet inwards or jump the feet together, rolling the hips a little.

 

I like to hold this pose for 3 to 5 long slow breaths, using my inhalation to find strength: lengthening the spine. On the outbreath I work my fingers backwards to ease myself deeper into the stretch, allowing the crown of my head to sink downwards.

 

Teacher Tip: 

•         At first you may find this pose difficult, especially if the hips and hamstrings are tight.
•         You can use a Yoga blocks or a few stacked books under your fingers to make it easier.
•         Widening the feet will work more on the hip flexors and increase the stretch on the inside of the thighs and hamstrings.
•         Over time and with practice you will be able to sink further and deeper into the pose.
•         When your able fold forward easily, you can reach out, wrapping your index and middle finger around your big toe, drawing your elbows outwards to deeper the stretch in your Hamstrings.

 

Come and try Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend Pose by joining me at my studio and let me guide you into this fabulous pose. Use this free pass code HPYFREECLASS. My gift to you.