Poses >> Paschimottanasana

Pascimottanasana
Pashchima (West)
Uttana (Intense Stretch)

1.Begin sitting in dandasana. It is important that your pelvis is upright, allowing your spine to be vertical like a plant growing up out of a flowerpot. If your pelvis is tucking under, probably due to some tightness in your hamstrings and/or low back, then I highly recommend that you sit on something like a cushion, blanket or yoga block. Sitting on two blankets might be what it takes and that's fine. If you try to pull up without this support you will find that your back muscles get overused and still your hamstrings don't get lengthened.
2.Good! Now we're ready to go. Engage your leg muscles firmly, inviting your quadriceps to hug onto your femur (thigh) bones in turn, grounding your thighs earthward. Flex your feet without letting your heels lift off the floor. Extend your heels out but try to hug your leg bones into the pelvis — moving in two directions at once. Lots of work but that is how yoga creates balance and stability.
3.Place your fingertips on the floor with a long spine, extending the pubic bone and sternum away from each other. Inhale.
4.As you exhale, begin to walk your fingers forward, folding at the hip crease. Go as far as you like, as long as you maintain that sense of length in the front body. At a certain point, your back will round a little bit because there is flesh in the front of your body that you are bending over. But you are thinking long back, straight legs, moving forward from the sternum, not the chin.
5.Stay in pascimottanasana for five breaths, exploring how staying engaged in the legs is a method for releasing the spine.
6.To come out of the pose, inhale and sit up.

Modifications:

• You can bend your knees and place your chest on your thighs.
• Use a yoga belt looped around your feet to help you lean forward more while maintaining a straight back and straight legs.

Video and Text by Yogamates Featured Teacher: Cyndi Lee