Learn to work the legs, pelvis, and trunk on Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

This healing, powerful and rejuvenating asana soothes the mind and works and stretches the hamstrings, gastrocnemius, piriformis muscles, spinal muscles, and so many other muscles and connective tissues.

In Uttanasana – Standing Forward Fold or Forward Bend, while we are intensely forward stretching the upper body and the hamstrings muscles, we are also calming the mind (the head is hanging below the heart allowing fresh oxygen-blood to flow to our brain) and rejuvenating the body. Uttanasana is also an essential element of Sun Salutations and helps us to connect the breath and other asanas and also prepares the body for deeper forward bends. So to master this pose, especially challenging when we have tight hamstrings, there are several variations we can do to work and improve the flexibility in the legs and pelvis.

STABILIZING THE LEGS

LEANING OVER A CHAIR

First, we will need... a chair.

NOW LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN DO THIS

1. Fold the chair and lean the backrest against the front groins, making sure both groins rest evenly on the chair. You can adjust the height by moving the chair to the desired angle.

2. Keep the feet and hip distance apart or the distance between the legs of the chair. Inhale.

3. On exhale and hinging from the hips, bend forward, holding the legs of the chair, concave the back and look forward.

4. 4. Give a deep and soft breath in and on exhale bend over into the pose, resting the forehead on the chair. If you have space for it, bend the elbows to the outside and not inward.

THE EFFECT OF THIS EXERCISE

1. On this variation, the legs become stable and taller and at the same time, the trunk becomes soft and flowing because of the support of the chair.

2. The backrest of the chair against the front groins creates space in the pelvic region because allows the pelvis to be stable, and square and prevents it from tilting, keeping at the same time the groins high.

Source: Calgary Iyengar Yoga @calgaryiyengaryoga6209

FINDING SYMMETRY

BUTTOCKS AGAINST THE WALL

First, we will need... 2 Blocks and a wall.

NOW LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN DO THIS

1. Place two blocks against a wall lengthwise and hip distance apart to ensure that both of the feet are going to be at the same distance from the wall.

2. Lean back until you feel the contact of the buttocks with the wall. Bend forward and remove the flesh of the buttocks to the sides and up until you feel the sitting bones touching and pressing against the wall. Both buttocks should be at the same height and equally pushing and pressing the wall.

3. Allow the fingertips to touch the mat and on inhale extend forward. If the fingertips don’t touch the floor use two blocks for support.

4. On exhale, bend forward releasing the back towards the mat.

5. You can hold the ankles, using the arms to extend the upper body further down and move it towards the legs.

THE EFFECT OF THIS EXERCISE

1. On this variation, you are assured that the symmetry and alignment are not compromised.

2. The heels against the blocks on the wall allow a stretch from the ankles to the sitting bones.

If you want to strengthen and increase the action on the thighs, remove the blocks and put the back legs against the wall.

1. You repeat the same steps, tightening the front thighs and pushing back so that you leave no gap between the wall and the back part of the legs.

2. This is a challenging variation, especially because you tend to roll forward, so to prevent that, you need to tighten and press the front thighs strongly back (into the wall), if you still roll forward, support the hands with blocks.

HELPING TO BEND LOWER

STANDING ON A RAISED PLATFORM

First, we will need... 2 Blocks and a chair.

We can do this by standing over a chair or standing over the blocks.

OR

NOW LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN DO THIS

1. Position yourself in a way you don’t have the toes curling over the round edge of the chair or the blocks.

2. Inhale elongate the body up by pulling the navel toward the spine and on exhale, bend forward from the hips if you are doing on:

ON A CHAIR

Grasp the legs of the chair or if you prefer the seat of the chair, pull the upper body down and bend the elbows to the outside.

ON THE BLOCKS

Grasp the ankles and pull the trunk down with the elbows bending to the outside.

THE EFFECT OF THIS EXERCISE

1. Releasing the toes allows releasing of the muscles of the lower back.

2. Also, these two variations help to activate the legs and make the bones denser.

3. They also allow us to progress in this asana bending more and going further down, creating an elongation of the body.

Source: Yoga Screen @YogaScreen