Tiriang Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana

Intermidate

Seated Asanas

Tiriang Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana

Intense Three Limbs Back Stretching Pose

(tri-an-ga-mu-kai-ka-pa-da-pas-chi-mot-ta-na-sun)

Meaning: tri = three / anga = organ / mukha = face / paschim = back part of the body

Muscle and Joints:

Preparation

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

Getting into position

Bend your left knee and place the left foot beside the left hip (top of the foot on the floor, toes pointing back, heel next to buttocks). Keep the right leg straight and point toes forward. Keep left knee in-line with the right knee. Keep both buttocks on the floor. Exhale. Inhaling, lengthen the spine from tailbone to head and raise arms straight over your head. Exhaling, bend forward from the hips and lower your hands to touch the toes or grab the ankles (if comfortable). Hold for a few moments to allow the body to adjust. Inhale. Exhaling, bend forward and interlock the hands around the bottom of your right foot. Try to rest the forehead on knee. Hold with normal breathing for around 30 seconds.

Coming out of position

Slightly relax the body. Exhale. Inhaling, slowly release your hands, raise the arms, head, and torso upright. Exhaling, lower the hands. Carefully, use the hands to straighten the left leg and return to the starting position. Inhale, exhale, and relax. Repeat on the other side.

Tips

  • If you cannot rest both buttocks on the floor, support them with a folded towel.
  • If you cannot wrap your hands around your foot, grab the ankles, calf muscles, or behind the knees, and slowly walk your hands farther toward the foot on each exhale.
  • Point toes forward to minimize excess pain in the back of the knee.
  • In case of a knee injury, do not flex the injured knee completely - support it with a folded towel underneath if needed.

Precautions

Avoid

If you have chronic/serious neck, spine, or knee problems.

Be careful

If you have neck, back, knee or ankle issues.

Benefits

General

  • Opens the hips. Stretches shoulders, back, hamstrings and knee.
  • Stimulates the abdominal organs.
  • Improves digestion. Relieves gas and constipation.

Therapeutic

Helps the sufferers of sciatica, piriformis syndrome and plantar fasciitis.

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