Prasarita Padottanasana: Variations

Okay, I didn't get to much blogging on this pose this month. So, to make up for my lack of contribution, I thought I'd give you lots of photos! I did teach the pose in each class and practice it in my own practice. I was again reminded of the importance of being grounded strongly in my feet and legs in all variations. Here are my favorite variations of this pose:

Traditional hands between the feet. I did not put my head between my hands here.


Extended Prasarita Padottanasana: Be sure to keep your weight over your feet. If you feel your hands "slipping" forward, you have too much weight in your hands.

Clasp hands behind the back: It is even more essential to be strong in the legs when your hands don't touch the ground.

Clasping the toes: Again, strong in the legs:


Reverse Anjali Mudra: I only do this one in my own practice, not one I teach, because most people aren't open enough in the shoulder to do this one without injuring the wrist:



And then, last, but far from least: Snuggling-with-daughterasana:

So much fun, and then...

I love Prasarita Padottanasana and I was having a lot of fun playing around with it.  I took Laura's suggestion to heart and I've been doing PP in each class I teach and each time I do my own practice, at least until this week...

This week I've come down with a cold and am quite stuffy and congested.  I'll take this opportunity to reminder you all to first and foremost listen to your body while practicing yoga. If you are not feeling well, rest, relax and restore.  Your yoga practice can consist of just one pose, like Child's Pose or even Savasana (final relaxation).  For me right now, if I bend forward in the slightest it creates tremendous pressure and pain in my head and face so I'm avoiding all forward bending poses. Including Prasarita Padottanasana!  In fact there isn't much that feels good besides sitting.  Even breathing through my nose is a challenge too.  I'll be taking it really lightly in the Yoga practice this week.  I'm taking care of myself so I'll be back to Prasarita Padottanasana in no time! 

Prasarita Padottanasana Spotlight

We are only half way through this month. You know what that means? There are still 2 more weeks of Prasarita Padottanasana in the spotlight! I have taught it in all of my yoga classes with great response! I like to start with separating the feet as far as is comfortable and then moving into the pose - and hold it. Focus on keeping the weight back and in the feet. Come up and then moving the legs in 1/3 of the way 2 more times finally ending in Uttanasana. Then follow it up with standing poses - hold them a little longer than usual. Your legs will feel very strong and steady after working in Prasarita Padottanasana. And...after all that, Savasana is glorious. Ahhhhhhh.

Parsvottanasana--it's not just about the legs!

This month as I regularly practiced Parsvottanasana (one of my favorite poses) I focused more on keeping my heart open with shoulders and collar bones open and shoulder blades flat. It is hard to keep that open position while folding forward but the openness adds so much to the pose. I focused on this aspect as I taught my students and their poses were beautiful. Now I love the pose even more!

Challenge: Prasarita Padottanasana

Commit to practicing the pose of the month in each practice. What did you learn?

Parsvottanasana: Now I Know More

At the beginning of the month, I posted about how I didn't care for this pose much. I vowed to practice it and teach it in every class for the month to explore where it was my attitude came from. My students and I played with working the feet more, engaging the legs more fully, opening the heart more. I discovered what I didn't like...I have to work harder in the pose than, well, I wanted to. I wasn't working my legs enough, grounding the back heal and the ball of the front foot. I discovered that grounding the back foot helped wake up my back hamstring and the inner thigh. I also discovered that I needed to draw the femur bone in more as I drew up and over the front leg. Phew! Good stuff! Now, while I don't profess to loving the pose yet...I do understand its gift to me...