Prasarita Padottanasana A
Wide Leg Intense Stretch, A
Drishti: Tip of the nose or back through the legs
This has to be one of my favourite poses. Not just as a practitioner, but as a teacher as well. There’s just so much to do with it! From the practitioner’s perspective, its simple, yet demanding. You can get a great stretch in your hamstrings, figure out the lift in the pelvis that you need for all the forward bends, but also for things like lifting into (rather than jumping into) headstand or handstand. And there are so many places to go from here – headstand or a nice twist, samakonasana (the splits) or titibasana. Actually, that’s one of the reasons I like it as a teacher as well, I’m never having to worry about what we’ll do next because there are so many fun options available.
But the best thing about this pose from a teacher’s perspective is that people get it. It’s one of the few forward bends wherein it’s easy to explain how to lengthen and lift. I can go over and adjust someone and explain a little about uddyana bandha and suddenly they’ll understand it, where I could have talked about the same movement for a week without anything but confused looks and nervous laughter.
Now, you may think I’m nuts. You might be one of those, like I was in the beginning, whose ankles start to feel intense pain from having to keep the feet from moving apart for so long in this pose. You might have a hard time getting your hands on the floor and find every minute here torture in your hamstrings. If you see a young guy skipping through a meadow singing about this pose, however, please try not to throw rocks at him. Why not, considering how annoying he is? Because he’s felt the same desire over other poses himself.
There are lots of poses that I have hated with a passion. There are many that I continue to. We all have our weaknesses – for me it’s the hips. But every once in a while you come upon a pose to be celebrated and enjoyed. Something that you do well and that just feels good. When you do, use it. Enjoy it, and maybe even build your practice around it, so that it can help you to enjoy everything else as well. Actually I think this applies to more than just yoga.
How to
Stand with the feet one leg's length distance apart. This distance varies for everyone, but you should create an equilateral triangle with your legs. Take the hands to the hips, exhaling as you move forward, taking the hands to the floor. Inhale, look up and create length in the spine. Exhale, tilt the SITS bones up as you tilt the pelvis down, moving from the core of the body. Take the head to the floor as the hands come back so that the wrists are under the elbows.
Modifications
There is no need to put the head on the floor. Focus on keeping the spine straight.
If necessary keep looking forward as you tilt your pelvis. You will probably be able to find a deeper stretch in the hamstrings this way than if you tried going down. The reason is that the back stays straight and long, and we focus on the movement that creates extension in the hamstrings - the pelvic tilt.
The legs may come wider that one leg's length distance, but not so wide that you lose strength in the legs and awareness in the feet.
Upavishta Konasana is a very good option, as it works both the hips and the hamstring, and is basically the same pose as prasarita, but because it is done on the floor you will have more control over the movement.
This pose requires both hip and hamstring flexibility. The following poses will help you to develop this (in order of ascending difficulty):
For the hamstrings:
The modifications listed for Supta Padangustasana are a very good option.
Both Padangustasana and Padahastasana are good for developing this stretch without needing the hip flexibility that Prasarita requires. Just remember to bend your knees in them.
Full Supta Padangustasana is excellent for more advanced students.
For the hips:
Pigeon Pose is a
very good hip opener. Make sure your knees don't experience any pressure
or pain in them if you are working here.
Badha Konasana will work the same stretch as Prasarita, but much deeper, and more focused specifically on this particular aspect of the stretch, and as such is a good way to develop it.
Transitional Poses
| Entry | Difficulty | Category | Exit | Difficulty | Category |
| Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog Pose) | Standing/Forward Bend/Hips | Prasariita Padottanasana [B, C, D] (Wide Leg Intense Stretch) | Standing/Forward Bend/Hips | ||
| Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon) | Standing/Balance | Samastiti (Equal Standing) | Standing | ||
| Parivrita Parsvakonasana (Revolved Side Angle) | Standing | Utthita Parsvakonsana (Extended Side Angle) | Standing/Hips | ||
| Parivritta Ardha Chandrasana (Revolved Half Moon Pose) | Standing/Balance | Samakonasana (Even Angle Pose) | Standing/Seated/Hips | ||
| Prasariita Padottanasana [B, C, D] (Wide Leg Intense Stretch) | Standing/Forward Bend/Hips | Bakasana (Crow Pose) | Balance | ||
| Samastiti (Equal Standing) | Standing | Vinyasa | |||
| Utthita Parsvakonsana (Extended Side Angle) | Standing/Hips | Sirsanasana (Headstand) | Balance | ||
| Virabhadrasana [A, B, C] (Warrior) | Standing/Balance(C) | Badha Hasta Sirsasana A, B, C, D (Bound Hands Headstand) | Balance | ||
| Vinyasa | Mukta Hasta Sirsasana A, B, C (Free Hands Headstand) | Balance | |||
| Sirsanasana (Headstand) | Balance | Urdva Vrksasana (Upwards Tree, or Handstand) | Balance | ||
| Badha Hasta Sirsasana A, B, C, D (Bound Hands Headstand) | Balance | Hanumanasana | Forward Bend | ||
| Mukta Hasta Sirsasana A, B, C (Free Hands Headstand) | Balance | ||||
| Urdva Vrksasana (Upwards Tree, or Handstand) | Balance | ||||