Standing SplitSave PDF
Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana
OORD-vah pra-SAR-ee-tah eh-kuh PAH-DAH-sah-nah
Stretches and strengthens legs
Stimulates kidneys and liver
Improves memory and concentration
How to perform Standing Split
- Stand with your feet together and parallel. Bend forward from your hips with an exhale. Lengthen your torso as you come down. Reach your palms toward the floor on either side of your feet.
- Draw your kneecaps up and lift your sitting bones toward the sky. Shift your weight to your right foot. Reach your left foot back and up with an inhale. Draw your torso toward your thigh.
- Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
- Lower your leg with an exhale. Change sides.
Alignment cues
- Square hips toward floor
- Point standing knee forward
- Draw torso toward thigh
- Relax neck
Modification: Lift raised leg parallel to the floor.
Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure.
More yoga poses to discover
Standing Split (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana in Sanskrit) is a beginner yoga pose that belongs to the forward bends and inversions and standing categories. This asana targets ankles, calves and hamstrings, and also involves quadriceps and spine muscles. Standing split stimulates kidneys and liver; stretches and strengthens legs and also improves memory and concentration. 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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