Guest Author - Nancy Welker
Uttanasana is an easy pose to perform, yet it stretches the entire back with an emphasis on the backs of the legs. Commonly used as a resting pose between other standing asanas during Yoga sequences, Standing Forward Bend releases tension in the upper body and can help reduce mental stress.
Instructions
1. Begin in Mountain Pose.
2. Inhale as you stretch your arms above your head, toward the sky, palms facing each other.
3. Stretch your entire body upward, as if reaching for the Sun, with your shoulders relaxed into the energy flow.
4. Exhale as you bend forward from your hips, keeping the soles of your feet pressed firmly and evenly into the ground.
5. Relax your head and neck downward, and lift up your sitting bones toward the sky to lengthen your spine.
6. Place your palms on the floor on either side of your feet.
7. Exhale as you stretch the back of your legs while pressing your feet down into the ground beneath you. Make sure your hips are situated directly above your knees, and that you keep your knees slightly bent - not locked straight. Hold Stand Forward Bend for up to 60 seconds, depending on your comfort level.
Visualization: Imagine your torso lengthening toward the ground with each breath. Your body is stretching as if you're getting taller with each inhalation.
8. Come out of the pose by bending your knees, and rolling up, slowly, to a standing position, pressing the soles of your feet into the ground evenly and firmly as you go.
9. Return to Mountain Pose.
Modifications
If you cannot place your palms down on the ground, you can hang your arms loosely from your shoulders or bend your knees until you can place your hands down flat.
To ease strain in the backs of the legs, you should keep your back flat, bend your knees and rest your hands on your thighs to perform this pose. As you become more flexible you can straighten your knees a little more each time you perform Standing Forward Bend. Note: This modification is useful if you have high blood pressure since your head stays above the level of your heart.
For anyone with lower back problems, you can perform the pose as per the above instructions, except rest your upper body on a table with your arms stretching forward across the top of the table. You should feel a stretch along the back of your legs while performing this modification,.
A link to Mountain Pose is at the bottom of the article.
As always, use good judgment when you have previous or existing health concerns, and seek the advice of a medical practitioner.
Namaste!
