Secrets of Uttanasana Performance, Pose Technique in Yoga, Benefits of Asana

Uttanasana tones the muscles of the back of the thigh and calms the mind. In this yoga pose the spine is intensively stretched.

Execution Technique

Step 1:

Stand in Tadasana , hands on hips. Exhale and begin to bend forward, starting the bend from the hip joints, not from the waist. As you bend, simultaneously actively stretch the front of the torso straight from the groin area. Do not strain your back when bending. When bending, try to lengthen the torso, not to curl up. Strive to expand the space between the pubic bone and the sternum.

Step 2:

Try not to bend your knees, pull your knees up. When you have bent as much as possible for you, place your palms or fingertips on the floor slightly in front of or at the edges of your feet (palms parallel to your feet) or, if stretching allows, place your palms behind your heels or grasp your ankle joints. If this is not possible, cross your forearms and hold your hands by the elbows - let your hands hang under their own weight. Press your heels firmly to the floor and pull your ischial bones towards the ceiling. Turn the front of your thighs slightly inward.

Step 3:

Relax your neck. Let your head be in a free position and stretch down under its own weight.

Step 4:

On an inhale, gently raise your head, trying to look as high as possible. Straighten your arms and simultaneously straighten your shoulders, bend your back, stretching your chest forward. The fingers should be fixed in the previous position (fingers/palms on the floor, palms on the ankle joints). This position is also called Ardha Uttanasana. On the exhale, drawing in your stomach (so that the fold is deeper), move your torso a little lower towards your legs - return to the starting position of the asana, fold.

Step 5:

Stay in the asana for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Uttanasana can be used as a resting asana between standing poses.

Exiting the Pose

To exit the asana, move your hands to your waist. On the inhale, simultaneously raise your torso with your head to the starting position (Tadasana).

Asana Adjustment / Control Points

1. do not jerk in an effort to pull your torso towards your legs - the torso should almost imperceptibly sway closer to your legs in time with your breath;
2. the back should stretch down effortlessly - under its own weight;
3. do not raise your head when you are in the asana;
4. stretch your lower ribs and the back of your torso so that your head touches your knees.

Benefits

Contraindications

Preparatory Yoga Exercises

• Adho Mukha Shvanasana ;
• Janu Sirsasana ;
• Pashchimottanasana ;
• Supta Padangushthasana .

Advanced Practice

To increase the stretch of the back of the legs, slightly bend forward and rise onto the pads of your toes, raising your heels a couple of centimeters off the floor. Stretch the entire inner surface of your thighs, starting from the groin area, while pulling your heels back to the floor.

Variations

1. Simplified Version To increase the stretch of the back of the legs, slightly bend your knees. As you stretch your torso down, try to tuck your tailbone towards your pubis. On the exhale, grasp your ankles or big toes. On the inhale, gently push the front of your thighs back and try to straighten your knees.
2. Complicated Version A. Padangushthasana - bend with a grip on the big toe. After bending forward, grasp the big toes with the index and middle fingers of each hand. Then pull up your fingers and fix them with your thumbs. On the inhale, straighten your arms and lift the front of your torso from your hips, bending your back as much as possible. Hold the pose for several breaths, then on the exhale stretch forward and down, spreading your elbows to the sides. B. Padahastasana (also described in the Padangushthasana article) - a bend with hands placed under the feet. This asana implies greater flexibility of the back and legs. When performing this pose, the position of the hands is changed (step No. 2) - that is, perform all the steps described above. The palms should be placed under the feet so that the big toes press on the carpal bones, and the index and middle fingers grasp the feet from below near the heels.