✨Paschimottanasana✨⠀
🙌🏻Seated Forward Fold🙌🏻⠀
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Have tight hamstrings? Want to calm the mind? ⠀
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1. Begin by sitting on the floor with your sit bones firmly rooted into the earth beneath you and your legs extended out in front of you. Feet together, flex the toes towards you, sit up straight and tall. ⠀
*Sit on the edge of a blanket if there is any rounding in the spine/back. This will give you a lift and allow your spine to elongate and straighten up.⠀
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2. Press actively through your heels, inhale lift the arms up, exhale lower the arms reaching towards your feet and gently lower your belly to your thighs, then chest, then head towards your knees.⠀
*If your hamstrings are tight, bend the knees or roll a blanket under the knees for support.⠀
*Do not hyperextend your knees: keep a slight micro-bend in the knees.⠀
If you can reach your feet; hold the feet with your hands and keep flexing the toes towards you.⠀
3. Breathe and stay in the pose for 1-3 minutes.⠀
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Exit strategy:⠀
Slowly lift the torso away from the thighs; press the fingers into the floor to assist with the lift. Head comes up slowly and last. Come back to the beginning seated position with a straight spine. Keep the eyes closed for a moment to prevent dizziness.⠀
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Benefits:⠀
Deep stretch for entire back of body.⠀
Calms the nervous system.⠀
Allows more room for deeper/fuller breaths.⠀
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Be kind to your body. ⠀
I am not a doctor. I am sharing my knowledge and practice with you as a yoga teacher. It is up to you to be aware of your own safety and your body. I can help give you tools to practice but the rest is up to you to practice in a healthy way that is safe for you and your body.⠀
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🙏🏻Namaste⠀
~Danielle⠀
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Photo taken in Bali, Indonesia by Zuna Yoga.
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Looking to deepen your practice? Check out www.ZunaYoga.com. ⠀