Wide-Legged Forward Bend Pose (Sanskrit: Prasārita Pādottānāsana / प्रसारित पादोत्तासन)
Prasarita Padottanasana (Prasārita Pādottānāsana) is a mid-level forward bend which is practiced by spreading the legs wide and then bending forward. The word ‘Prasarita’ means outstretched and ‘Pada’ means the foot. Mastering this asana helps us perform advanced inversions like the Mayurasana and Sirsasana. There are many variations of this pose, the one mentioned below is the basic Prasarita Padottanasana.
Instructions for Doing the Wide-Legged Forward Bend
- Start by standing in Tadasana (Tāḍāsana) or the Mountain Pose, which is the basic standing pose of yoga. Keep your feet joined with heels and big toes lightly touching each other. Stand tall with your chest forward and look straight at your eye level.
- With an inhalation, rest your palms on your waist and spread your legs apart. The distance between your feet should be around 4 to 5 feet.
- Make sure your legs are straight and knees aren’t bent. Pull your kneecaps up and tighten your legs.
- Exhale and place your palms on the floor in the middle of your feet, in line with your shoulders.
- Now, inhale and raise your head upwards, while keeping your back concave.
- Exhale and bend your elbows to gently rest the crown of your head on the floor. Your bodyweight should majorly be born by your legs. Your feet, hands, and head should be in one straight line.
- Hold this position for about 30 to 60 seconds, breathing slightly deeper than normal, without any jerks.
- Now, inhale and raise your head off the floor, straightening your arms. Stretch your head backward and keep your back concave.
- Exhale and come back to step 1’s position (Tadasana).
Benefits of Doing Prasarita Padottanasana
- This asana stretches and tones the hamstrings, quad muscles, glutes, thighs, calves, ankles, and the spine.
- It opens up the hips and increases flexibility in the lower body.
- Practicing this asana on a regular basis reduces stress and anxiety as it pushes an ample amount of fresh supply of blood towards the brain.
- It increases your breath awareness and helps you remain calm in stressful situations.
Precautions
- Do not attempt this asana if you have an ankle, knee, hamstring, shoulder, neck, or spinal injury.
- Those with arthritis, fibromyalgia, severe cases of migraines, glaucoma, or heart ailments of any kind should also avoid this asana.
- Those with herniated discs shouldn’t concave their backs. Keep your back parallel to the floor, instead.