Click here to discuss Paschimottanasana in the forum
Benefits:
- Calms nervous system
- Releases lower back (if back is straight or arched and not rounded forward)
- Exercises muscular, adrenal and reproductive systems
- Intensely stretches each side of the body
- An excellent forward and backbend combined in a strong active stretch
- Opens and increases flexibility of hip joints
- Reduces saddle bags
- Opens shoulder joint
- Helps regulate hormone levels
- Engages reciprocal inhibition to open the body
Tips:
- Pull on your flexed feet with straight arms and lifted chest as you slowly extend your legs
- Never bend your arms until you can sit in a straight-sided triangle*. Then bend the arms to straighten the back forward over straight legs
Check that you:
- Always start with bent legs, straight arms and straight back.
- Always keep your back straight or arched and never rounded. As soon as your back starts to collapse and compress forward, rock forward onto your sit bones, lift your chest and bend your legs. Creating more space from your pubic bone to your sternum and feeling a stretch is a handy analogy.
- *Drop your shoulders and pull traction into your arms and back by using straight arms