Prasarita Padottanasana A – D

Spread Feet Intense Stretch Pose Prasarita Padottanasana is a symmetrical standing pose in that both sides of the body are activated and stretched equally This type of pose shows you the areas of the body that are not equal in flexibility Once these areas are identified, activate the appropriate muscles to work to ward symmetry.

PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA A (5 MOVEMENTS)
1	EXAM	Inhale, open to the right, hands to waist
2	DVE	Exhale, fold forward, hands on the floor
		Inhale, look up, lengthen
3	TRINI	Exhale, and fold head down.
4	CATVARI	Inhale, look up, lengthen
		Inhale, look up, lengthen
5	PANCA	Inhale, up
PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA B (4 MOVEMENTS)
1	EKAM	Inhale, arms out
2	DVE	Exhale, hands to waist
		Inhale, look up, lengthen
3	TRINI	Exhale, interlace hands behind the back
4	CATVARI	Inhale, up
		Exhale
PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA C (4 MOVEMENTS)
1	EKAM	Inhale, arms out
2	DVE	Exhale, fold your head down
		Inhale, look up, lengthen
3	TRINI	Inhale, hands to waist, lookup
4	CATVARI	Inhale, up
		Exhale
PRASARITA PÁDOTTANASANA D (5 MOVEMENTS)
1	EKAM	Inhale, hands to waist.
2	DVE	Exhale, fold forward, hold big toes
		Inhale, look up, lengthen
3	TRINI	Exhale, fold head down
4	CATVARI	Inhale, look up, lengthen
		Exhale
5	PANCA	Inhale, up
		Exhale, Samasthiti

Anatomy

PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA

SPREAD FEET INTENSE-STRETCH POSE 

 Sculptor Frederick wellington ruckstull said, “Everything in nature folds at evening.” Life is full of alternating opposites, such as inhaling and exhaling, sleeping versus waking, and fight or flight versus rest and digestion. Each of these dualities demonstrates a dynamic balancing of opposites. Sequencing in yoga can be used to exaggerate a cycle of expansion and contraction. We begin with poses that open the front of the body and close with poses that draw the energy inward. After the standing series, we fold forward into Prasarita Padottanasana to relax. Note that this pose is also an inversion, in that it places the head below the heart and stimulates the pressure receptors in the heart, aorta, and carotid arteries. This shifts the autonomic nervous system from fight or flight to rest and digest. We can use triangulation to locate the focus of the stretch, here the hamstrings and gastrocnemius/soleus complex, extending into the erector spinae and quadratus lumborum muscles of the back. Flex the trunk forward while extending the knees to create two vertices of the triangle. Flexing forward draws the ischial tuberosities (the origin of the hamstrings) upward. Extending the knees draws the insertion of the hamstrings away from their origin. This action also draws the origin of the gastrocnemius away from its insertion on the Achilles tendon. The third corner of the triangle is the stretch at the backs of the legs and the trunk. Attempting to draw the hands forward when they are fixed on the mat brings the trunk deeper into the pose and lifts the ischial tuberosities higher; this deepens the hamstring stretch. This is an example of using a subplot, in this case flexing the elbows and shoulders, to contribute to the main story of the pose (flexing the trunk forward and straightening the knees). Add a physiological component to these biomechanical actions by engaging the quadriceps to stimulate reciprocal inhibition of the hamstrings, causing them to relax into the stretch. Finally, balance eversion and inversion of the ankles by simultaneously contracting the peroneus longus and brevis and tibialis posterior muscles. This creates stillness and stability at the foundation of the pose.  

BASIC JOINT POSITIONS  

• The feet are parallel. 
• The knees extend. 
• The trunk flexes. 
• The elbows flex. 
• The shoulders flex forward, adduct, and depress.