Revolved Wide Standing Forward Fold-Parivrtta Prasarita Padottanasana

Parivrtta Prasarita Padottanasana starts in a wide stance with your toes pointing to 12 o’clock… pretty much parallel feet unless it feels good to you to slightly turn your toes in.  (Now I’m wondering why people call that pigeon-toed?  Do pigeons turn their toes toward each other?  Hmmm…) Anyhow, tuck your tailbone under to point at the floor, take a slight backbend on an inhale, maybe hands on hips, then exhale as you fold forward from the hips with a very slight bend in the knees.  Let gravity pull the crown of your head toward your mat, relax your neck and facial muscles and just hang there with your leg muscles engaged as you continue steadily and mindfully breathing.  Getting upside down in forward folds will decompress your spine and can literally make you taller, if you do it enough!  I’ve actually had to readjust my rearview mirror after practice because I’ve defied gravity, in a sense J.  Then, either with your right hand in the center between your feet, or taking your right hand to or toward your left foot, inhale as you reach your left arm up to the sky, putting the torso in a twist, stretching your leg muscles, lower back, hips, shoulders and arms.  The twist helps with improved digestion, better flexibility of the spine, detoxifying and improved balance and stability in the legs.  And, as usual, pull in on your core, bellybutton to spine.

After a few breaths, exhale down to your center fold then repeat on the other side.  There are many ways to incorporate this pose into a sequence of poses – one way would be coming out of the fold and turning one foot’s toes to the top of your mat and finding Triangle Pose or Trikonasana – I’ll post some instruction on that next week.

Parivrtta Prasarita Padottanasana benefits the following muscles:

• Arms and Shoulders

• Lower Back

• Middle Back

• Upper Back

• Biceps and Triceps

• Core Muscles

• Hamstrings

• Chest

• Hips

• Neck

• Psoas