Standing forward bend – PADA HASTASANA

Definition: Bending forward in a standing position.

Objective: To make your spine and legs supple and strong.

In Sanskrit pada means ‘foot’ and hasta ‘hand’, asana means steady pose. Therefore padahastasana (पादहस्तासन) means the ‘hand under feet pose’.

Step-by-step: FORWARD & DOWN

This is similar to the Forward Bend, but here gravity helps to stretch your body down. Stand with your feet together. Inhale, while lifting your arms straight above your head. Keep your inner upper arms close to your ears, look forward and stretch your arms all the way to your fingertips.

Exhale as you bend forward and down from the hips, keep stretching your arms forward as if someone is pulling you forward by your arms. When you can’t stretch forward anymore, you slowly allow your upper body to go towards the floor, keep your heels firmly pressed into the floor to keep your balance, your legs are straight. Keep your spine straight.

If your hands touch the floor, place them flat next to your feet to allow your belly button to come closer to your thighs. alternatively you can grab your ankles or your calves with your hands or stand on your fingers with your toes. Try to relax your neck and head, just let them hang.

Breathe normally while you are in the pose.Allow yourself fold a little further down with each exhalation. In the beginning, hold for 30 seconds: as you gain experience, increase the time to several minutes.

Step-by-step: COMING OUT

Slightly bending the knees and roll your body up as a rag doll, vertebrae by vertebrae until you are standing tall and strong back in tadasana (mountain pose).

Benefits

• Develop strength and flexibility in your legs and hips and equilibrium in your body.
• Trim the waist
• Restore elasticity to the spine
• Helps to relieve sciatica.
• Increase the blood supply to your brain.
• Stretches the connective tissues in your legs if you stay longer in the pose (>1 minute)

Previous asana <<<< Kakasana (crow) – >>>> next asana: Trikonasana (triangle)

Sources: Sivananda, Astrogle, Wikipedia