Pose of the week

UTTANASANA (Standing forward fold) 

Uttanasana is the basic forward fold. Everything you learn here will be applicable to all forward folds. There are many variations so, as always, find what works for you in each given moment and work to your own edge. Whatever stage you are at will be perfect.  

Practice  I like to think of Uttanasana as lengthening down.
Start in Tadasana and ground yourself from the top of the pelvis down, firming the legs and spreading the soles of the feet. Allow the upper body to soften and watch for the exact moment at the very end of your exhalation. Let you spine 'catch' the rebound - feel space rippling up your spine like a snake - and at the bottom of the exhalation see if you can feel space opening up at the base of the spine - just above and around the sacrum.

Use that space! At the end of an exhalation hinge slowly and gently down over a quiet pelvis. You can keep the hands on the hips or float them upwards lightly as you fold forward. Which ever you chose keep your shoulder blades on the back and as soft as possible. Try not to let any tension into the upper body and do not disturb your strong roots.

As you hinge keep breathing down evenly through the soles of your feet, heels and tips of the toes included, and try not to let the weight of your head or arms drag on your spine. You are not pulling or pushing to come into this pose so keep the belly soft and don't 'flatten' the back. Once in the pose bring the finger tips to the floor or clasp the elbows over the head.

There are a few visualisations that help me with the quiet internal feeling forward folds give you....

1. As you lengthen forward into your fold, visualise your pelvic girdle as a fan. This fan has the potential to open enormously - being pulled in two directions; the weight of the head Vs. the tail and heels creating space all around the sacrum and lower spine. The opening of the fan as you lengthen forward should help you feel the whole lower back really open and begin to soften.

2. As you breath into the pose keep your awareness in your spine and see if you can feel the individual vertebrae of your spine moving away from each other.

3. As with all poses it is important not to hyper-extend the backs of your knees. you want to allow your kneecaps to engage and lift evenly to open the backs of the knees, but don't lock back. As you firm the legs try not to allow any other areas of the body to tense in sympathy. To keep your knees open without hyper-extending or tensing, rest your attention at the back of the knees, like you have eyes there...just let it live there for a little while.
Can you feel feel the direct relationship between the backs of the knees and the heels? Between the four corners of the feet and four corners of the kneecaps?

Sequencing  Tadasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana,  Supta Padangusthasana and Malasana are all good preparation for Uttanasana. It can also be benificial to stretch the front thighs with Virasana or lunges to help open the hamstrings.

Benifits Calms the brain, stimulates the liver and kidneys, stretches the hamstrings, calves, and hips, strengthens the thighs and knees, improves digestion.  

Cautions Uttanasana can be dangerous for the lumbar discs so it is important not to bend forward from your lower back. Instead fold from your hips and allow your groins to deepen and soften. Strive for the feeling of moving from your groin area like a fulcrum. If the lower back is already an issue do this pose with bent knees, or perform Ardha Uttanasana (with your hands on the wall).

 Image from Shirley Srey