Two poses for today are Downward Dog and Extended Side Angle

Downward Dog and Extended Side Angle

Extended Side Angle Pose

Extended Side Angle Pose — Utthita Parsvakonasana — is a standing yoga pose that utilizes all of the muscles in the body.  There are several variations of the pose to accommodate various levels of flexibility. It’s usually simply referred to as “Parsvakonasana,” or “Side Angle Pose.”

Instructions

1. Begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana). Turn to the left and extend your arms sideways to shoulder height, palms facing down. Step your feet as wide apart as your wrists. Align your heels.
2. Turn your right leg and foot outward 90 degrees so your toes point to the top of your mat. Bend your right knee until your right thigh is parallel to the floor (you may need to widen your stance). Keep your right knee directly over your heel. Turn in your left toes slightly. Align the heel of your right foot with the arch of your left foot. Keep your back leg straight. Inhale and draw your left hip slightly forward.
3. Keep your torso open to the left; do not turn your body in the direction of your right leg. Gaze out across the top of your right middle finger.
4. Exhaling, lower your right arm so your forearm rests on your right thigh.
5. Reach your left arm up towards the ceiling, and then extend your arm over the top of your head. Your left bicep should be over your left ear, and your fingertips should be reaching in the same direction your front toes are pointing. Keep your chest, hips, and legs in one straight line, extended over your front leg.
6. Turn your head to look up at the ceiling. Keep your throat soft and your breathing smooth. Relax your face.
7. To deepen the pose, lower your front hand to the floor, placing your palm next to the inside arch of your front foot. For a deeper chest and shoulder opening, place your front hand on the outside of your front foot. You can also rest your front hand on a yoga block.
8. Make sure your front knee does not drop inward. Keep your front thigh externally rotating with your knee drawn slightly toward the baby toe of your front foot. Press firmly through the outer edge of your back foot.
9. Hold for up to one minute.
10. To release, press firmly through your back foot. Then, exhale as you slowly come up to a standing position with your arms extended at shoulder-height. Turn your feet and body so they face the same direction, and then step your feet together. Return to the top of your mat in Mountain Pose (Tadasana). Repeat on the opposite side.

Benefits

• Parsvakonasana relieves stiffness in the shoulders and back. It provides a deep stretch to the groins and hamstrings, and it also improves stamina.
• This pose strengthens the legs, knees, and ankles, while also stretching and toning the abdominal muscles. It is known to be therapeutic for constipation, infertility, sciatica, menstrual discomfort, and low backache.
• This pose requires and builds strength throughout the entire body, and is, therefore, best practiced closer to the beginning or the middle of a standing pose sequence.
• It helps to prepare the body for deeper leg and groin stretches, such as Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) and Wide-Angle Seated Forward Fold (Upavistha Konasana).

Downward Dog Yoga Poses

Adho mukha svanasana posture replicates a dog bending forward, hence the name downward facing dog pose. This asana can be practiced by any beginner too and with all its benefits, one should include it as a part of daily yoga practice.

Steps

1. Come onto your fours. Form a table such that your back forms the tabletop and your hands and feet form the legs of the table.
2. As you breathe out to lift the hips, straightening the knees and elbows, form an inverted V-shape with the body.
3. Hands are shoulder-width apart, feet are hip-width apart and parallel to each other. Toes point straight ahead.
4. Press your hands into the ground. Widen through the shoulder blades. Keep the neck lengthened by touching the ears to the inner arms.
5. Hold the downward dog pose and take long deep breaths. Look towards the navel.
6. Exhale. Bend the knees, return to table pose. Relax.

Benefits

• This pose leaves you energized and rejuvenates the body
• It lengthens the spine, strengthens the muscles of the chest increasing lung capacity.
• It brings strength throughout the body especially the arms, shoulders, legs, feet.
• Helps to tone muscles
• It increases circulation to the brain
• It calms the mind and helps relieve headaches, insomnia, and fatigue.

Downward Dog and Extended Side Angle pose utilize all of the muscles in the body. Try these poses with Guided Yoga from YouVeda.