Learn to work the legs, pelvis and trunk on Uttanasana

-

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 in order to master this pose, specially challenging when we have tight hamstrings, there are several variations we can do in order to work and improve the flexibility in the legs and pelvis.




  1. Fold the chair and lean the backcrest against the front groins, making sure both groins rest evenly on the chair. You can adjust the height by moving the chair into the desire angle.
  2. Keep the feet hip distance apart or the distance of 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. 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.

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




  1. Place two blocks against a wall lengthwise and hip distance apart in order 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 in order to extend the upper body further down and moving it towards the legs.
  • On this variation you are assured that the symmetry and alignment are not compromised.
  • 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, specially because you have the tendency to roll forward, so in order 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.



You can do this variation standing over two blocks or over a chair.
  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, bending 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, pulling the upper body down and bending the elbows to the outside.
  • On the blocks - grasp the ankles and pull the trunk down with the elbows bending to the outside.

  • Releasing the toes allows to release the muscles of the lower back.
  • Also this two variations helps to activate the legs and makes the bones denser.
  • They also allow us to progress in this asana bending more and going further down, creating an elongation of the body.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ardha Uttanasana (Standing Half Forward Bend Pose)

-
Image
Ardha Uttanasana also commonly known as "Flat back pose", "Half Standing Forward Fold" or "Half Forward Bend" prepares the body for Uttanasana and Adho Mukha Svanasana because stretches, lengthens and rejuvenates the hamstrings, calves, spine and upper torso and therefore also improving our posture. This asana is often done in Sun salutations, as a transition between Uttanasana and Chaturanga Dandasana. Newbies on Yoga that find changeling to bend from the pelvis should practice this asana before attempting full Uttanasana, in order to prevent bending instead from the lumbar region, an unsafe action that could create compression on the vertebras. This pose will lengthen and strengthen our body in time and with patience and practice, is going to allow us to go deeper in our practice. Stand in Tadasana with the feet parallel - big toes touching together and heels slightly apart. Root down through all four corners of the feet. In
Read more

Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

-
Image
Source: "Yoga anatomy" written by    Leslie Kaminoff " Uttanasana reminds me of a waterfall, the legs being the cliffs from which the trunk is flowing down like water – make the legs strong and tall and the trunk soft and flowing! " from Eyal Shifroni in " Props for yoga - Volume 1: Standing asanas " This healing, powerful and rejuvenating asana that soothes the mind, work and stretches the hamstrings, gastrocnemius, piriformis muscles, spinal muscles, and so many others muscles and connective tissues. Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). On inhale circle the arms up in Urdhva Hastasana, extending from the low belly up through the fingertips.  Maintaining the length, on exhale and hinging from the hips, bend forward in order to have the trunk folding over the legs and resting the palms on the floor by the sides of the feet. If you need to bend the knees, maintaining the contact of the belly with
Read more

Activating the arms in Urdhva Hastasana

-
Image
The work we have to do with the body in Urdhva Hastasana is almost the same as in Tadasana, so the previous posts were I demonstrate exercises and variations for the feet, legs, pelvis and chest we can also apply to this asana. I am going to add other variations to help you understand the work and engagement of the arms and the correct alignment of the spine . As I previously said, if you have any cardiac condition or high blood pressure don't raise the arms up over than 30 seconds . Stand up with the feet parallel. Big toes joining together and hells slightly apart. Ground down through the four corners of each foot. Place a strap around the mid-forearms or on the elbows and tighten it to shoulder width (see how to find the shoulder distance on the post " Learn how to work the arms and chest in Tadasana "), and then place a block between the hands. Lift the shinbones and the kneecaps up, engaging the quadriceps/thighs muscles and drawing the 
Read more