Uttanasana: Standing Forward Bend
ADJUSTMENTS | BENEFITS | SEQUENCING | SANSKRIT | STEPS
A soothing posture for body and mind, uttanasana (OOT-tan-AHS-ahna), or standing forward bend, is straightforward but far from simple. Requiring flexibility in hamstrings, hips, and calves, uttanasana also requires patience. Watch the ebbs and flows in your body and life reflected in this simple posture.
Philosophy + Origin
In uttanasana, knowing when to accept intensity and when to be content with where you are is key to steady progress without injury or frustration. It’s easy to try to push for more — with uttanasana, this means wanting to be more flexible or pushing further into the pose. Rather than struggling, use the posture to practice santosha (contentment). Can you accept both the intensity and your capacity right now?
ADJUSTMENTS/MODIFICATIONS:
- Separate your feet to give your hamstrings room — keep your feet parallel.
- If your back is uncomfortable in this shape, practice with knees bent.
- If the ground seems far away, place your hands on blocks.
- To deepen the posture, hold onto the backs of your ankles or grasp opposite forearms behind your calves.
- To deepen the stretch at the backs of your legs, elevate the balls of your feet with a rolled mat or blanket
STEP-BY-STEP:
- Start standing with your hands on your hips. Exhale to hinge from the hips and bend forward. Think about creating as much length as possible from your hips to your head.
- Release your fingertips toward the ground or your blocks.
- Root down into the four corners of your feet.
- Release the back of your head and neck.
- On inhales, feel your torso lengthen, and on exhales, feel your chest reach toward your toes.
- Stay in uttanasana for up to one minute.
- To exit the pose, return your hands to your hips and slowly lift up, keeping the length in the front and back of your torso.
PREPARATORY POSES:
- Downward-facing dog | Adho mukha svanasana
- Head to knee pose | Janu sirsasana
- Reclined hand to toe pose | Supta padangusthasana
SEQUENTIAL POSES:
- Wide-angle forward fold | Upavistha konasana
- Half standing forward bend | Ardha uttanasana
- Seated forward fold | Paschimottanasana
COUNTER POSES:
- Tadasana | Mountain pose
- Childs pose |Balasana
- Resting pose | Savasana
SANSKRIT:
- Ut = intense
- Tan = to stretch
- Asana = pose
PHYSICAL BENEFITS:
- Stretches hips, hamstrings, calves.
- Reduces headaches.
- Improves sleep.
ENERGETIC BENEFITS:
- Calms and soothes the mind.
- Reduces fatigue and anxiety.
- Relieves stress.
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Parsvottanasana: Intense Side Stretch Pose
ADJUSTMENTS | BENEFITS | SEQUENCING | SANSKRIT | STEPS
From lengthening the spine to stretching the legs to calming the mind, there’s a little bit of everything in parsvottanasana (parsh-voh-tahn-AHS-ah-nah) Also known as intense side stretch pose or pyramid pose, this shape is helpful for finding balance while stretching hamstrings.
Parsvottanasana requires a combination of flexibility, strength, and patience. With the help of props such as blocks or a wall, this pose becomes accessible for everyone.
ADJUSTMENTS/MODIFICATIONS:
- Blocks: Place hands on blocks to help keep the torso long.
- Wall: Place hands on a wall in front of you to work on strengthening the muscles of the back.
- Heart opening variation: Take the hands in reverse prayer position behind the back to stretch and open your shoulders and chest while also challenging your balance. If reverse prayer isn’t accessible, you can still bring the arms behind the back, reaching for opposite elbows instead.
- Adjust your stance: If the back heel is lifted off of the floor, shorten the stance so you can push through the heel to activate the back leg. For more stability, widen your stance.
