Two poses for today are Reclining Big Toe and Reclining Hero pose

Reclining Big Toe and Reclining Hero pose

Reclining Big Toe Pose

Reclined Big Toe Pose (Supta Padangusthasana) is a classic stretch for runners and other athletes since it gets right into the hamstrings and calves.

Steps

1. Come to lie on your back with your legs outstretched.
2. Bend your right knee and hug your leg into your chest.
3. Place a yoga strap around the ball of your right foot. Hold the ends of the strap with each hand. If you don’t have a strap, a belt will work.
4. Straighten your right leg up toward the ceiling while holding tightly to the strap. Stretch your right leg upwards with the foot flexed, but keep the ball of the hip joint resting in the socket and both sides of your butt equally resting on the floor. Keep your left foot flexed and your left leg pressing towards the floor.
5. Try pointing the right toes for a slightly different stretch. You can go back and forth between a flexed and pointed foot if you like.
6. Hold your leg up for five to 10 breaths.
7. To come out, bend your right knee back into your chest, bring the left knee to join it, give your legs a little hug, and then do the same thing with your left leg raised. Do one stretch for each leg.

Benefits

• This pose stretches the hamstrings and calves.
• It is common to have tight hamstrings if you engage in running or sports that involve a lot of running.
• This pose can help reduce back pain by addressing flat low back posture.
• Traditionally, this pose is said to improve digestion.

Reclining Hero pose

The Reclining Hero Pose, or “Supta Virasana,” is an advanced and challenging yoga pose that is relatively popular. The Reclining Hero pose continues from the regular Hero pose. After forming the Hero pose, a practitioner will continue the pose and slowly recline backward until parallel with the ground. While the Reclining Hero Pose is certainly more challenging than the Hero pose, it offers benefits in terms of targeting different muscle groups. With some knowledge and moderate experience with yoga, you can learn the Reclining Hero.

Steps

• Start in Hero Pose sitting on, or in-between, your heels.
• Bring your hands behind you to the mat.
• Press the tops of the feet to the mat and firm the inner ankles in.
• Bend your elbows and slowly lean your body back as you exhale, lowering onto your forearms and then your upper back, if that still feels ok for your knees and lower back.
• You should feel a stretch in the midpoint of your thigh muscle (quadriceps) rather than the attachment points of the muscle at your knees.
• If your back is on the mat you can bring your arms alongside the ears, out to the sides, or place your hands on your belly.
• Stay here for 10 breaths.
• Try to come out of the pose the way you came into it – mindfully. Engage your abdominal muscles as you inhale, pushing your hands or elbows to the mat to lift back up to Hero Pose.

Benefits

• Stretches the feet, ankles, thighs, and front of the body.
• Gently massages and stimulates the lower back.
• The full pose with the arms overhead opens up the chest and the shoulders.

Reclining big toe and Reclining hero Pose stretches the feet, ankles, thighs, and front of the body. Try this pose with Guided Yoga from YouVeda.