How to do Prasaritha Padottanasan
1. In the mountain posture, extend your legs from 3 to 4 feet towards the five-pointed star. With your back flat, exhale forward and place your palms under your shoulders on the floor.
2. Lower your forehead to the floor with your arms and bend your elbows toward the back wall. Press your feet and stretch your legs to hold your hips up to the ceiling.
3. Feel how the spine is pulled in opposite directions when you press the head and lift the hips.
4. Breathe in and hold for 3-8 breaths.
5. To release, extend the arms to one side and inhale the 5-star again.
Advantages + Contraindications
Advantages: The front posture with wide legs stretches the spine and stretches the muscles of the legs and back.
Contraindications: recent or chronic injuries in the legs, hips, back or shoulders.
Changes + Variations
Changes: If the hands do not reach the floor, separate the feet or instead of yoga blocks under the hands.
Variations: There are many variations in the placement of the hand: A) Wrap the middle and index fingers around the big toe, B) Choose your fingers under the outer edges of the feet C) Place the ankles with your hands D) Place the hands on hips, E) bring back Anjali Mudra’s hands on the back.
Benefits of Prasaritha Padottanasana
Stretching the lower part of the body
The placement of our feet is responsible for this obvious benefit of posture. When the practitioner is placed away from the feet of the other, the hamstrings are stretched and the body must redouble its efforts to create a balance in the body. The stretching movement strengthens the lower part of the body and opens the hip flexors, which become stiff due to lack of exercise and longer periods of sitting. Thighs, groin, hips, back, thighs, all areas enjoy the benefits of stretching posture movement.
Refresh the spirit
The semi-inverted nature of the posture helps the heart to rest. Every day, the heart has to pump additional blood to provide oxygen and energy to our brain. Reverse postures put the head below the heart, which makes it easier for the heart to recover from the gravitational and brain-related difficulties of getting more blood. The cells of the brain are activated. Stress and anxiety are reduced almost immediately and brain fog is reduced.
Relief of the lower back.
It is often recommended that patients who suffer from lower back pain, sciatica and discs who practice the four variants of Prasarita padottanasana in recovery. Stretching and stretching movements of the hamstrings and hip flexors also help to stretch the spine and provide more space for the muscles of the back. In addition, the blood flow in the back increases, which eliminates blockages.
Help with digestion.
As we give the asanas, bending in front of the torso and the contact of the head with the mats helps to massage the digestive organs. Liver, spleen, kidneys, intestines, receive a gentle massage on the body and facilitate the process of elimination of constipation, to improve the absorption of nutrients in the body and detoxify all toxins.
Create a better attitude
When the spine is stretched and strengthened, our posture is corrected automatically. If a professional regularly takes this posture, he may feel an elongated spine, an erect body, square shoulders and a tense stomach. All this gives long and thin lines, gives an hourglass size and improves posture.
Activate the centre of power.
Acting as a balm for tense nerves, it is said that the elbows extend forward with wide legs and the practitioner-led Sattva to experience a state of balance and harmony. Invariant A, the head should be placed on the mat, which automatically activates the crown chakra. This helps to ground all the negativity and unwanted thoughts that help to reach a place of rest. The legs are stable and rooted in a good mood on the ground.
Other advantages
It helps reduce headaches and insomnia. Many also claim that by regularly practising this posture, you can control your blood sugar.
If you add all the previous positions, you can rightly say that the asana attacks almost all the daily diseases. Practitioners can add this asana in the middle of the practice, or if they have less time, they can simply perform this posture in the morning (before eating something).