Broad-Legged Ahead Bend is a beginner-level ahead bending pose, that offers an incredible enlargement to the torso with a deep stretch in hips and hamstrings.
In Sanskrit, it is named Prasarita Padottanasana, the which means of which will be damaged down as comply with:
- Prasarita – unfold or expanded
- Pada – foot or leg
- Ut – intense
- Tan – to stretch
- Asana – pose
Thus it actually interprets to “Toes Unfold Intense Stretch Pose“.
After a prolonged sequence of standing pose or after jogging, strolling or biking, the train might really feel profound and calming. It’s a helpful preparatory posture for full inversion postures equivalent to headstand, shoulder stand, and handstand, amongst many others.
Strengthening the leg muscle tissues is simply one of many many advantages this pose brings. It additionally stretches the hamstrings, hips, calves, knees and decrease again, which is vital for sustaining flexibility and elasticity.
It’s additionally a pose to strengthen your core, as you could tighten these muscle tissues to keep up the bend and stability of your physique.
The very best factor about this pose is that with its 3 further variations, it’s versatile and will be carried out by all exercisers.
Will probably be fascinating to know that this pose just isn’t among the many conventional hatha yoga poses. It was launched within the Iyengar college of yoga and was additional integrated in Ashtanga, vinyasa, and energy yoga as a transition pose.
Allow us to take a look at this excellent pose intimately.
Observe Information for Broad-Legged Ahead Bend
Preparatory Poses
Steps to Carry out Broad-Legged Ahead Bend
- Stand tall and straight on the ground in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) together with your fingers in your waist
- Unfold out your toes about 3-4 toes aside. Hold your toes parallel to one another and unfold the burden evenly on all corners of the toes.
- To align your toes’s edges with the sides of your mat, flip your toes barely inward and your heels barely outward.
- Lengthen your physique by extending upward by the pinnacle’s crown.
- Gently bend out of your hips as a substitute of arching your decrease again.
- Place your fingers under your shoulders on the ground or blocks whereas sustaining a protracted again and an open chest. The palms needs to be in keeping with the toes, fingertips pointing forwards.
- To lift the hips towards the ceiling, press into the toes and lengthen the legs.
- As you exhale, stretch your torso extra inward, bringing your abdomen in nearer and tightening your belly muscle tissues.
- The crown of the pinnacle and palms needs to be resting on the ground. Keep the weight of the physique in your legs, not within the crown on the pinnacle.
- Maintain this place for a minimal of 10-15 seconds.
- To launch the asana, first, increase the pinnacle off the ground after which gently elevate your torso. Slowly carry your toes collectively, and are available again to Tadasana.
Newbie’s Suggestions
- The gap between your legs is dependent upon your peak and stability. Experiment with completely different variations of the space to seek out the perfect place. Don’t unfold your legs too far aside as you is probably not steady within the place.
- Lengthening your torso is rather more essential than inserting the pinnacle on the ground. The second you are feeling your again curving, it’s best to cease bending additional.
- Bend your knees to the diploma essential to get aid in case your low again or the backs of your legs are tight.
- In case your hips or decrease again is stiff and tight, you possibly can bend your physique midway such that your torso turns into parallel to the bottom.
- In case you are a newbie, you may really feel troublesome to put your head on the ground, so, you possibly can put a yoga block, a stack of folded blankets, or a cushion to relaxation the crown of the pinnacle.
- Yoga blocks and blanket stacks will also be used to put your fingers on them.
- Be certain your shoulder blades are pulling collectively and down your again as a result of this pose tends to trigger shoulders to drop.
- Be certain your head, palms, and toes are in line after bending.
Precautions and Contraindications
- Bend the torso from the hips, not from the waist.
- Carry out this pose on an empty abdomen because it considerably places stress on the stomach. If you happen to already had a meal, watch for no less than 3-4 hours earlier than performing this pose.
- Don’t press your head on the ground. Merely relaxation it on the ground.
- In case you have a current damage, or sprain or have undergone surgical procedure in your hips, thighs, again, neck, ankles, wrists, or knees, don’t carry out this pose.
- Keep away from performing this inversion pose in case you have blood stress issues, vertigo, migraines, and/or complications.
- Individuals who have fibromyalgia or arthritis within the decrease physique shouldn’t carry out this pose or proceed with excessive warning.
- Due to the deep extension of the backbone, folks with spinal circumstances together with herniated disks, superior cervical- and lumbar-spondylosis, scoliosis, and kyphosis ought to keep away from this pose.
- You will need to keep away from such extreme inversions in case you have coronary heart illness or have had coronary heart surgical procedure.
- Girls in the superior phases of being pregnant should keep away from this pose.
Variations of Broad-Legged Ahead Bend(Prasarita Padottanasana)
There are three variations of wide-legged ahead bend, that are principally the hand positions. The above-mentioned steps are for Prasarita Padottanasana A.
These variations are considerably extra intense than the unique as they improve the stretch.
Prasarita Padottanasana B
After getting come into Prasarita Padottanasana A, elevate your fingers off the ground and place them in your waist. Rotate your shoulder outwards whereas inserting the fingers such that your elbows needs to be pointed to the entrance or identical course as your toes.
You can too use a strap in case you possibly can carry your fingers to the waist due to tight shoulders.
This variation offers further stretch to your shoulders and additional opens the chest.
Prasarita Padottanasana C
After coming to the ultimate pose of Prasarita Padottanasana A, elevate your fingers off the bottom and rotate your shoulder to carry your arms to the again. Interlock your fingers and level them in the identical course as your toes.
Strive bringing the fingers in direction of the bottom in case your shoulder, higher again, and chest enable. you can even attempt to take them in direction of your hips or else you possibly can maintain them raised.
This variation intensifies the stretch in your shoulders and higher again whereas increasing the chest. The arm placement – in direction of the bottom or hips – will goal the higher arm muscle tissues.
Prasarita Padottanasana D
After entering into Prasarita Padottanasana A, transfer your palms to seize the massive toes. Maintain the massive toe with the primary two fingers and thumb.
Hold your arms in the identical place as the unique pose, simply improve the space between them to carry the toes. maintain the elbows stacked on the wrists.
This variation will add additional stretch to your shoulders, higher again, higher arms, and chest.
Observe-Up Poses
Advantages of Broad-Legged Ahead Bend
Prasarita Padottanasana combines the benefits of each ahead folds and inversions. Your flexibility can speedily and considerably develop on this pose. The nervous system is calmed and soothed, and it helps the physique and thoughts be prepared for tougher yoga positions and reflection.
Beneath are a few of its advantages:
- Opens the hips and stretches the decrease again muscle tissues.
- Eliminates stress and stiffness within the hips and tones the muscle tissues of the decrease again.
- Acts to elongate the backbone and enhance its flexibility and vary of movement.
- Tones and massages the muscle tissues of the trunk and belly organs, contributing to higher digestion and metabolism.
- Will increase elasticity, energy and mobility of the hips, hamstrings and quads because the legs are stretched huge.
- Tones and strengthens the calf and ankle muscle tissues and improves their flexibility.
- Improves blood circulation to the pinnacle by the inversion.
- Eliminates stress, stiffness and rigidity within the neck and shoulders.
- Improves the move of prana, which reduces.
- Promotes focus and focus, as you could be certain that your physique is effectively balanced and stabilized.
- Relaxes the nervous system and provides a deep sense of leisure and success.
- Relieves melancholy, anger and anxiousness within the physique as a result of improved blood move to the mind.
