Bent knees versus straight legs on Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

(OOT-tan-AHS-anna)

Ut = intense + tan = strech + asana = pose

Source: “Yoga anatomy” written by Leslie Kaminoff

In this pose as in many others in yoga, gravity should do the work of drawing the torso down.

Having this in consideration, if you feel tension, strain, or simply have tight hamstrings, to prevent you to pull yourself down (due to the hamstrings working in this case as tightropes), which will cause tightness and congestion in the psoas, rectus femoris and placing the sacroiliac ligaments under shear stress, it’s better to soften the knees giving breathing space in the pelvis and sacrum and allowing the spine to release.

Only when you feel this release in the spine, is when you should extend the legs,

providing you with more lengthening in all the back parts of the body.

Source: “Yoga anatomy” written by Leslie Kaminoff

from squencewiz.org “To Many Asymmetrical Poses Can Create Sacroiliac Joint Issues”

Source: Yoga Screen @YogaScreen