seated forward fold – paschimottanasana
seated forward fold – set up
- Sit down with legs extended out in front of you
- Flex your feet with toes pointed toward the ceiling and engage legs
- Lift through the sternum as the heads of your femurs drop
- On an inhale, lengthen the front torso
- As you exhale, hinge from the hips and fold forward
seated forward fold – working within the pose
upper/mid-body
- Remember to lengthen torso each time you inhale
- Keep your spine long – don’t round your back
- Continue to keep both the front and back sides of your body long
lower body
- Keep your toes pointed toward the ceiling and legs engaged
seated forward fold – benefits
- Calms nervous system
- Stretches spine, shoulders, hamstrings
- Relieves symptoms of menopause/menstruation
- Soothes headaches and anxiety
- Improves digestion
- Stimulates liver, kidneys, ovaries, and uterus
seated forward fold – modifications
- Sit with your hips on a folded blanket to give yourself a little lift
- Can take a strap around the balls of your feet if reaching the feet with the hands isn’t an option
- If your hamstrings are super-tight, take a rolled up blanket behind your legs
- To work on deepening your forward folds, you can take blocks underneath your feet to grab on to
seated forward fold – contraindications
- Herniated discs
- Back injury
- Asthma
