Benefits Develops concentration and balance Tones and stretches the leg and hip muscles Stretches the hip flexors Strengthens the arch in the standing foot Develops range of motion in the shoulders Expands the chest and front body Strengthens the back body in a back bend Start in Mountain Pose (Tadasana). Shift your weight on to your right foot and bend your left knee to bring your foot towards your left buttock. Grab the inside of your left foot with your left hand and bring your right hand to your hip. Find your balance. Lengthen your tailbone downwards and tone your abdomen. Begin to push your left foot into your left hand so that your back foot rises up behind and away from you. Keep your left knee hugging in towards your midline and not out to the side. As your foot rises up, tilt your torso forwards, maintaining a lift through your chest. To counteract the compression in your lower back, keep your core engaged. Think of bringing the bend out of your lower back, and into your upper back. Raise your right hand up to the sky, with your thumb pointing backwards and your pinky finger pointing forwards. Shift your gaze upwards and breathe. Stay in the pose for 20 to 30 seconds, then slowly release. Repeat on the opposite side, holding for the same length of time. Take Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) as a counter pose.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 23:14:45 +0000
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