Prasarita Padottanasana

Prasarita Padottanasana

Expanded Foot Intense Stretch Pose
Standing Asana

Phase 2

Phase 3

Key Benefits

• The hamstring and abductor muscles are fully developed while blood flows to the trunk and head
• those who cannot do Sirsasana can benefit from this pose
• increases digestive powers
• removes fatigue
• reduce body weight

How to get into Prasarita Padottanasana

1. Stand in Tadasana and jump 4 1/2 feet wide, now spread your feet wider.
2. Place your hands on your waist and extend your frontal spine while keeping the thighs back and tailbone in. Open the chest and  look up.
3. Extend your trunk forward. Place the hands on the ground in between your feet shoulder width.
4. Bend the elbows back, relax the head, and extend the torso down.  Bring the crown of the head to the ground.
5. Straighten the arms and extend the sternum forward. Keep the legs firm, as you press in the edges of the feet, take the hands on the waist, come up first parallel to the floor, then up to standing. Wiggle the feet slightly together and jump the feet to Tadasana, then take the arms down.

Modifications:

• Keep palms slightly forward, the head can be forward and not in line with the feet
• Rest your head on a block

Notes:

• This pose can be done in phases as your hamstrings start to open and you can extend the torso down keeping trunk concave from the hips to the neck. 
• Phase 1- Extend the torso upward to the ceiling, opening the chest and lifting the spine. 
• Phase 2- torso parallel to floor, hands either on hips or on either side of foot, concave back.
• Phase 3- extend torso down resting your head on the floor, slightly rounded back. 

Parsvottanasana

Parsvottanasana

Extended Side Angle Pose
Standing Asana

Key Benefits

• relieves stiffness in legs, hip muscles, wrists, necks, shoulders, elbows and makes hip joints and spine elastic
• while head is resting on knees teh abdominal organs are contracted andtones
• removes stiffness in wrists
• corrects round and drooping shoulders
• deep breathing easier in full pose
• calms the brain

How to get into Parsvottanasana

1. Stand in Tadasana, Place hands on hips. Extend the arms over the head, turn the arms out, sweep the arms around as you bend the elbows bring the palms together with fingers pointing up towards the neck, into Paschima Namaskarasana. Expand the chest and lift the sternum. 
2. Jump feet 3 1/2 feet apart. Turn right foot 90 degrees to the right and turn the left foot all the way in, as you turn the torso facing to the front leg. Breath. 
3. Look up towards the ceiling, lengthening the torso away from the hips and lengthen the front spine over the front leg maintaining a straight spine and extend torso parallel to the floor. Look forwards. 
4. Extend spine down the leg, bringing stomach to the thigh, chest to knee, and chin to shin. Look towards foot.     

Modifications:

• Use a wall with the heel of the back foot against the wall, for balance stability
• Place hands on waist and bring the elbows back behind the torso as you open the chest. 
• Hold elbows or wrists behind torso if your hands will not come into Paschima Namaskarasana
• Place hands on ground or on blocks on either side of front foot. 

Notes:

• This pose can be done in phases as your hamstrings start to open and you can extend the torso over the leg. 
• Phase 1- Extend torso towards the ceiling, lengthening the torso away from the hips and extend the spine upwards 
• Phase 2- lengthen the torso parallel to floor, hands either on hips or on either side of foot, concave the back.
• Phase 3 - extend torso over the front leg resting the head on the leg. As in picture

  

  Phase 1

  
  

  

  Phase 2

  
  

  

  Phase 3