Uttanasana or forward bending Yoga posture helps in stretching legs and spine. Uttanasana also cools the heart, mind, body and neck.
Uttanasana
The term Uttanasana has been derived from three
words - 'Ut, which means 'intense', 'Tan, which means to stretch and
extend, and 'asana', which means posture. In short, it is yoga posture
that involves intense stretching of the body muscles. One of the
postures of hatha yoga, Uttanasana enjoys immense popularity in the
present times, one of the reasons why so many of its variations have
been evolved. In this asana, you are required to start from the Tadasana
pose and then hinge forward, bending at the hips and letting the head
hang. Apart from stretching the legs and spine, Uttanasana is believed
to calm down the mind as well as the body.
Instructions
- First of all, you need to stand in the Tadasana posture (mountain
pose).
- Now, start inhaling and raise your arms, taking them over your
head.
- As you exhale, start bending your hips.
- Bring your arms forward and then take them down, along with the
torso, so they are touching the floor.
- Now, take your hands behind your legs and join them together.
- Remain in the position for 7-8 breaths.
- Now, bring your hands in the front and start twisting your torso
upwards, pulling yourself.
- Keep your head hanging down till you are completely straight.
- Repeat the procedure 4-5 times.
Tips
- While performing Uttanasana, make sure that you do not put much
pressure on any one body part. If you encounter great difficulty in
bending your torso with the knees straight, bend them a bit.
- Instead of locking your hands behind the legs, you can use them
to hold the ankles or even leave them on the floor, while doing the
asana.
Benefits
- Uttanasana helps provide a complete stretching exercise to the
entire back side of your body.
- It has been observed that this asana helps rejuvenate the spinal
nerves of a person and also tones the kidneys, liver, and spleen.
- Those suffering from depression would find Uttanasana to be quite
helpful, as it helps make the mind peaceful and calm.
- Practicing this asana helps improve the flexibility of various
body parts, including the spine, hips, sciatic nerves, tendons and
ligaments of legs.
- By soothing the brain cells, Uttanasana helps revitalize and
invigorate the nervous system.
- This asana has proved to be beneficial for people suffering from
anxiety. It also improves eyesight and hearing.
- Uttanasana improves blood circulation in the legs and also
increases the suppleness of the hamstrings.
- This asana provides nourishment to the facial skin, scalp, and
even the hair roots.
Caution
- In case you suffer from back pain or suffer from the problem of
varicose veins, Uttanasana is not meant for you.
