Wide Legged Forward Bend DSave PDF
Prasarita Padottanasana D
pra-SAR-ee-tah PAH-doh-TAHN-NAH-sah-nah D
Strengthens legs, spine and shoulders
Improves digestion
Energizes mind, relieves fatigue
How to perform Wide Legged Forward Bend D
- Stand with your feet 3 to 5 feet apart and parallel.
- Place your hands on your hips. Lengthen your spine with an inhale.
- Bend forward with an exhale, keeping your spine long.
- Release your hands from your hips. Hook your big toes with your thumbs and first two fingers. Fold deeper with an exhale, widening your elbows. Bring the top of your head to the floor.
- Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
- Inhale and lift halfway. Bring your hands to your hips with an exhale, then inhale and rise rise with a flat back. Step your feet together with an exhale and release your hands.
Alignment cues
- Engage arms and shoulders
- Engage lower belly
- Relax neck
- Lower top of head to floor
- Elbows aligned over wrists
Modification: Fold forward only part way.
Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure or low back issues.
More yoga poses to discover
Wide Legged Forward Bend D (Prasarita Padottanasana D 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 d improves digestion; strengthens legs, spine and shoulders and also energizes mind, 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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