Purvottanasana (पूर्वोत्तानासन/pūrvottānāsana) is an asana which engages the body in an upward and a backward stretch. It offers a nice stretch for the wrists, arms and shoulders, lower back, core, hamstring, and ankles. It is usually practiced as a counter-stretch for the pashchimottanasana, the seated forward bending stretch. In English, it is commonly known as the Upward Plank or the Inverted Plank pose.
In Sanskrit, the word ‘purva’ means both the direction East as well as the front side of the body. The word ‘uttana (uttāna)’ is a combination of ‘tāna’ with the prefix ‘ut’ and means ‘deep stretch’. Thus, Purvottanasana literally means ‘deep stretch of the front side of the body’. This is the counter stretch for the pashchimottanasana which literally means ‘deep stretch of the back side of the body’. The word ‘pashchim’ means both the direction West as well as the back side of the body.
I hope you’ll enjoy practicing with the video.
Step-by-step
- Sit down in the Dandasana (staff pose) with the legs stretched out in front and the palms on the floor right next to the hips.
- Slowly, slide your hands backwards until they are about 6-8 inches behind the hips. Keep the palms flat on the floor with the fingers facing forward or backward, depending on which of the two positions is more comfortable for you. After experimenting with the asana a few times, you’ll know which is a better option for you.
- Pressing firmly down with the palms, lift your buttocks off the floor as high as comfortable. While lifting the body up, it will be helpful to engage the core.
- Roll the shoulders back, closing the gap between the shoulder blades, so the chest feels nicely expanded and lifted up. As you maintain pressure with the feet and the hands, try to point the toes away and down toward the floor. Tilt your head slightly back so you are looking up or behind you, providing a gentle neck stretch.
- Try to hold the final position for about 4-5 breaths or as long as comfortable.
- To come out of the pose, bring your head and neck in line with the spine and slowly release the buttocks to the floor. Relax in the Dandasana (staff pose) for a few moments.
- Repeat the above sequence two more times, if comfortable.
As a counter-stretch, practice the seated forward bending pose called the Pashchimottanasana.
- To get into Pashchimottanasana, begin by stretching the arms in front and then raise them up overhead.
- While exhaling, slowly begin to bend forward, trying to get the hands to the toes. If the hands do not reach the toes, you may use a strap which helps maintain a good spinal posture as well as help deepen the stretch by bringing the hands closer to the feet.
- Stay in the pose for 4-5 breaths. To come out, while inhaling, stretch the arms straight and raise them up to a vertical position. While exhaling, release the hands down by the side of the hips.
Purvottanasana variation – Table Top pose
- Once again, sit down in the Dandasana (staff pose) with the legs stretched out in front and the palms on the floor right next to the hips. For this asana, keep the palms there throughout the practice, not moving them back behind the spine. Also, the positions of the hands and the feet will not shift during the practice.
- Pressing firmly with the feet and the palms, lift the buttocks up as high as you can.
- As in the previous pose, roll the shoulders back, closing the gap between the shoulder blades, lift the chest up. Tilt your head slightly back so you are looking up or behind you, providing a gentle neck stretch. In the final position, which resembles a table top, the feet are flat on the ground.
- Maintain the pose for a couple of breaths. To release the pose, start bringing the buttocks down. However, before resting the buttocks on the floor, move them back between the palms and then release them to the floor.
- Repeat this pose 4-5 times more.
- As before, as a counter stretch, practice the seated forward-bending pose, Pashchimottanasna, following the guidelines given above.
- Finally relax in the Sukhasana, the seated cross-legged posture for a few more moments.
Benefits
- Improves strength and flexibility of the wrists, arms and shoulders
- Strengthens the calves, hamstrings and quadriceps
- Improves core strength
- For women, it is helpful in relieving heaviness in the lower abdomen during menstruations
- Essentially, the pose engages the entire body and tones the body muscles from the toes up to the head
Contraindications
- Avoid the asana in the following situations:
- High blood pressure
- Severe migraine headaches
- Any kind of pain or injury in the wrist, shoulders, neck or the back
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