Paschimottanasana
ajna chakra

Third-Eye Chakra (Ajna)

vishuddha min - YogPlan

Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)

Manipura min - YogPlan

Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)

Muladhara Chakra

Root Chakra (Muladhara)

Intermidate

Seated Asanas

Paschimottanasana

Back Streching Pose

(pas-chi-mot-ta-na-sun)

Meaning: paschim = back part of the body / utanna = intense stretching

Table of content

Spinal Movements:

Preparation

Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose) - spine straight and upright; hands at your sides; legs extended forward, feet together. Inhale, exhale, and relax.

Getting into position

Step 1. Exhale. Inhaling, lengthen your spine from the tailbone to the head and extend your arms up. Exhaling, bend from the hips and lower your hands down and grab your toes. Open your chest, raise your head up, and lengthen your spine. Hold for a few moments to allow the body to adjust.

Step 2. Inhale. Exhaling, bend your torso forward, rounding the spine, interlocking your hands around your feet, and relaxing your neck until the forehead or chin touches the knees. Point your toes forward. Hold with normal breathing for around 30 seconds.

Coming out of position

Slightly relax the body. Exhale. Inhaling, slowly release the hands, raise the arms, head, and torso up, and lower your arms down, coming into the starting position. Inhale, exhale, and relax.

Tips

  • Try to bring chin in front of the knees to stretch the spine more.
  • Point toes to minimize excess pain in the back of the knee.
  • Avoid jerking while bending down or up to avoid injury in the lower back.
  • Keep the legs straight and the back of the legs in contact with the floor.
  • Keep both buttocks on the floor.

Mental & Emotional Health:

Precautions

Avoid

If you have a herniated (slipped) disc or chronic/serious back problems.

Be careful

If you have high blood pressure, asthma (breathing problems), diarrhea, neck or abdominal issues.

Benefits

General

  • Opens the hips. Stretches shoulders, back, hamstrings, thighs, and calf muscles.
  • Strengthens the abdomen.
  • Increases blood to the arms and head. Stimulates the liver, kidneys, ovaries, uterus, and digestive organs. Relieves stress, headache, anxiety, fatigue.
  • Helps to prepare for meditation poses.

Therapeutic

Improves mild depression, high blood pressure, infertility, insomnia, and sinusitis.

Variations

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