By Paschimottanasana is the forward bending posture of yoga traditions and you can do it with following steps.
- Sit with legs stretched forward and feet flexed, facing forward without rotating them, and the toes pointing towards you and heels outside. Feel the bones where you sit, for this you can better accommodate the buttocks.
- Make sure your spine is straight. For this, you can support your palms on either side of your hip, causing some pressure down a couple of seconds. This will make your spine grow.
- Inhale and stretch your arms toward as much as possible on each side of your head and keeping this stretch, exhale and bend forward from the hip, as you were to touch the wall in front of you. When you can no longer stretch farther forward, keeping your spine straight, grab your toes, but if you do not reach, no matter. Grab your ankles or calves. Make sure your feet are still together bent and legs stretched out.
- Close your eyes. Breathe deeply and exhale trying to lose a little more from the chest. The idea is not to bring the front of the knees, but the chest toward to the thighs. You can inhale and raise your arms back and torso up to stretch your spine and another bit back down.
- Make sure your legs are fully stretched and the spine remains straight. The soles of your feet should be facing forward and your feet should be flexed. If you are flexible and your abdomen is close to your thighs, bend your elbows, drop them on the sides and allow your torso to relax without losing posture. Keep calves and thighs relaxed. Inhale and stretch the spine and exhale to feel how loose the tension in hips.
- Do not force yourself more than your body is able to, but do not descend almost to nothing. No matter how far you get, delve into every breath in Paschimottanasana, allowing the force of gravity to help you lose but no rebounds. We are more flexible when we release when we are tense. Your body should be relaxed. Hold the pose for 30 seconds to three minutes, depending on the practice level.
- To exit the position, maintain the position of the spine, inhale and stretch your arms for a movement forward and then up in the same way as you reached to it.
It is one of the main asanas for the flexibility of the spine and to prevent backaches. In addition to this, it relieves stress and anxiety, strengthens the organs of the abdomen and defenses, calms the nervous system with few other benefits.
In yoga, it is always recommended to end the practice of postures with a relaxation of five to ten minutes to settle the benefits of postures, to deeply relax the body and mind, and promote vitality and health of the entire system. To learn it better, consult with a level 1 yoga teacher training Bali and be a master of this art.
