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Ubhaya Padangusthasana

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Yoga Techniques and Fitness

Overview

In this lesson, we explore Ubhaya Padangusthasana, a balancing pose that links the upper and lower extremities while engaging the core muscles.

Objective

Understand how to use the grip on the big toes to create a lock that allows you to lift the arms and straighten the knees while maintaining balance.

What You'll Get

What You'll Get: This pose combines the core strength of Navasana with the hamstring stretch of a forward bend. You'll learn to balance on the sitting bones while holding the big toes, using the grip to deepen the stretch without losing stability. The challenge is maintaining the form while breathing steadily. For personal practice, it builds the strength and flexibility needed for more advanced balancing poses. For professionals, it's a way to assess both core strength and hamstring flexibility simultaneously. You'll also learn how to cue students to use their breath and lower their center of gravity if they start to fall back.

Ubhaya Padangusthasana engages many of the same muscles as Navasana. In addition, it links the upper and lower extremities, connecting the shoulder girdle with the pelvic girdle via the torso.

UBHAYA PADANGUSTHASANA (13 MOVEMENTS)
7	SAPTA	Inhale, jump through
		Exhale, lie down
8	ASTAU	Inhale, legs up
		Exhale, take toes
9	NAVA	Inhale, roll up, look up
		Exhale, down
10	DASA	Inhale, lift up
11	EKADAŠA	Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
12	DUADASA	Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
13	TRAYODASA	Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

Anatomy

Ubhaya Padangusthasana engages many of the same muscles as Navasana. In addition, it links the upper and lower extremities, connecting the shoulder girdle with the pelvic girdle via the torso. Lifting the arms or bending the elbows accentuates flexing the hips and extending the knees. This creates a greater stretch of the backs of the legs, which is the focal point of this story. The grip on the big toes is an essential component, with the big toes flexing against the fingers and thumbs to create a lock. Ubhaya Padangusthasana is also a balancing pose, meaning that you can apply the principles of physics to stabilize the posture. For example, if you start to fall back, simply bend the knees to reestablish balance by lowering the center of gravity.

BASIC JOINT POSITIONS

The hips flex.
The knees extend.
The ankles plantar flex.
The feet evert.
The trunk flexes.
The shoulders flex, adduct, and externally rotate.
The elbows extend.
The forearms supinate.

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