Inclined PlaneSave PDF
Purvottanasana
POOR-voht-TAH-NAH-sah-nah
Strengthens arms, legs and core
Stretches abdominal organs
Relieves fatigue
How to perform Inclined Plane
- Sit with your legs stretched in front of you. Bring your feet to touch. Place your hands on the floor several inches behind you, fingers pointing away. Your hands should be as wide as your shoulders.
- Press your feet into the floor and lift your hips toward the sky with an inhale. Relax your neck in a neutral position.
- Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
- Lower with an exhale.
Alignment cues
- Press soles of feet toward floor
- Align wrists under shoulders
- Lift hips toward sky
- Keep the neck neutral
Modification: If you're double jointed, turn your fingers toward you.
Avoid this pose if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, or a shoulder or wrist injury.
More yoga poses to discover
Inclined Plane (Purvottanasana in Sanskrit) is a beginner yoga pose that belongs to the back bends category. This asana targets glutes & hip flexors, obliques, spine and triceps, and also involves calves, chest, forearms, hamstrings, neck & upper traps and wrists muscles. Inclined plane stretches abdominal organs; strengthens arms, legs and core and also relieves fatigue. Refer to the illustration and instructions above for how to perform this posture correctly. Discover more yoga asanas and yogic breathing exercises in our free yoga pose directory – a visual resource for yoga teacher training students as well as practitioners of all levels. Finally, shop our best-selling Yoga Cards products!
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