STANDING FORWARD BEND POSE
Uttanasana
(OOT-tan-AHS-ahna)
Ut = Intense
Tan = To stretch or extend
Steps:
- Stand in Tadasana, inhale and stretch the arms up over the head (Urdhva Hastasana). Exhale and sweep the trunk and the arms down, placing the hands on the floor beside the feet. Make sure you are bending at the hip flexors and not the waist, lengthening through the thoracic spine and lifting through the abdominals. In going down, move the buttock bones outward and lift them away from the thighs. Imagine that you are trying to place the top of your head on the top of your feet vs. your forehead on your knees.
- If possible, with your knees straight, bring your palms to the floor besides your feet. You could also bring hands behind ankles. If you cannot reach ankles, fold forearms and hold elbows. Press heels into the floor and lift sit bones towards the ceiling.
- On the inhales lift though the front torso and on the exhales lengthen through the hamstrings, gluteals, lower, mid and upper back. Let the head hang and your neck be relaxed.
- Pay attention to the feet and keep the toes active. Keep the inner ankles, knees, and thighs together. Stretch to the tops of the thighs and roll the hip sockets in. Lengthen the front of the body and the spine downward, keeping the shoulder blades pulled toward the waist.
- Uttanasana can be used as a resting position between other standing poses. It can also be used as its own pose.
- To come out of the pose, place hands on the hips and lift with a straight back as you press your tailbone down and into the pelvis. Coming up on the inhale, extend though the torso.
To increase the stretch thought the hamstrings (backs of thighs), stand with the balls of your feet on angled blocks.
Modifications and props:
If you have tight knees, practice bending your knees on your inhale and straightening them on the exhale. You may also use blocks alongside your feet to help support your hands if your hamstrings are extremely tight.
Variations:
Place fingers (pointer and middle) under big toe or place fingers under the front of the foot. On the inhale, lift with a straight back and look up over head or to the middle of your eye brows. Pressing pelvis to the floor. On the exhale, release the pose and then inhale as you lift all the way up with a straight back.
Benefits:
Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression, stimulates the liver and kidneys, stretches the hamstrings, calves, and hips; strengthens the thighs and knees, improves digestion, helps relieve the symptoms of menopause,
reduces fatigue and anxiety, relieves headache and insomnia; therapeutic for asthma, high blood pressure, infertility and osteoporosis.
Contraindications:
If you have back injury, bend knees. Perform Ardha Uttanasana, with your hands on the wall, legs perpendicular and arms parallel to the floor.