How to do prassarita padottanasana

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About prassarita padottanasana (Wide Leg Forward Bend Standing Pose)

"Prasarita" — meaning "spread" or "expanded"
"Pada" — meaning "foot" or "leg"
"Ut" — meaning "intense"
"Tan" — meaning "to stretch"
"Asana" — meaning "pose"

As we enter spring, the body begins to adapt to seasonal change. Lighter mornings, longer evenings. warmer temperatures, nature's new growth. Our winter yoga mat practice of sun salutations, twists, dynamic forward and backward bends have helped keep the kidneys and urinary bladder nourished.

Spring is the time to give the liver and gall bladder some TLC, aiding detoxification.

Key functions of prassarita padottanasana

This posture is a hip opener, and strengthens legs and vertebral column. It works the inner and outer leg lines which correlate to the liver & gall bladder.

How to do prassarita padottanasana

Step your feet wide apart. Turn your toes slightly in and your heels slightly out so the edges of your feet are parallel to the edges of your mat. Inhale and lengthen your torso, reaching the crown of your head up toward the ceiling. Exhaling, fold forward at the hips. Keep the front of your torso long. Drop your head and gaze softly behind you.

Bring your hands to rest on the floor between your legs. Keep your elbows bent and pointing behind you. If your hands do not come to the floor, rest them on yoga blocks.

Shift your weight slightly forward onto the balls of your feet.

Keep your hips aligned with your ankles, then walk your hands back even further. Work toward bringing your fingers in line with your toes (and eventually with your heels), and bringing your elbows directly above your wrists. Strongly engage your quadriceps and draw them up toward the ceiling.

Lengthen your spine on your inhalations and fold deeper on your exhalations.

Bring the crown of your head down further, resting it on the floor if possible.

Hold for up to one minute. To release, bring your hands to your hips. Press firmly through your feet and inhale to lift your torso with a flat back.

Modifications & variations of prassarita padottanasana

  • If your hands don't easily reach the floor, place each hand on a yoga block.
  • If your head comes easily to the floor, narrow your stance.
  • If your hamstrings are very tight, bend your knees.
  • For a restorative version of the pose, rest your head on a yoga block or bolster
  • Keep your shoulders back into the body to allow the breath to flow through the neck
  • Advanced practitioners may come directly into Tripod Headstand (Sirsasana) from this pose.

Tips

  • Keep your legs strong and engaged.
  • Do not lock your knees.
  • Lift and spread your sit bones.
  • Keep your face and your gaze soft.
  • Emphasise lengthening the front of your torso rather than focusing only on bringing your head and hands all the way down. Bend your knees, or place your hands on blocks, to keep this length as you fold forward.
  • Fold from the hips, not the waist. To learn this movement, place and press your hands directly on your front hip bones. Then hinge forward from that spot. Keep your torso long.
  • Come up from the pose with a flat back. This will help strengthen the back muscles.
  • Aim for aligning your ankles, knees, and hips. It’s common to lean back, placing too much weight on the heels.