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.