Wide Legged Forward Bend CSave PDF
Prasarita Padottanasana C
pra-SAR-ee-tah PAH-doh-TAHN-NAH-sah-nah C
Strengthens legs and spine, stretches shoulders
Improves digestion
Calms mind
How to perform Wide Legged Forward Bend C
- Stand with your feet 3 to 5 feet apart and parallel.
- Interlace your fingers behind you. Lift your chest and lengthen your spine with an inhale.
- Bend forward with an exhale, keeping your spine long. Lift your arms up and overhead.
- Bend your elbows and bring your hands toward your back. Rotate your palms to face out. Straighten your arms and bring your hands back toward the floor with an exhale.
- Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
- Inhale and rise with a flat back. Step your feet together with an exhale and release your hands.
Alignment cues
- Relax shoulders
- Relax torso toward floor
- Palms face away from body
- Engage lower belly
- Draw shoulder blades toward tailbone
Modification: Keep your hands in the first position (palms toward your back).
Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure or low back issues.
More yoga poses to discover
Wide Legged Forward Bend C (Prasarita Padottanasana C in Sanskrit) is an intermediate yoga pose that belongs to the forward bends and hip openers and inversions and standing categories. This asana targets hamstrings, lower back, shoulders and spine, and also involves calves, glutes & hip flexors, middle back / lats and upper back & lower traps muscles. Wide legged forward bend c improves digestion; strengthens legs and spine, stretches shoulders and also calms mind. 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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