Padahastasana - Standing Forward Bend

Padahastasana - Standing Forward Bend
Padahastasana, the "Standing Forward Bend," is an asana from Hatha Yoga . It is one of the 84 most important yoga postures. Padahastasana helps develop patience and dedication, as well as stretching the entire back of the body. Below, you'll learn exactly how to perform the pose, what other positive effects you can achieve with it, and who should avoid it.

How to perform Padahastasana? Step-by-step instructions:

• Begin the exercise standing upright. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and let your arms and hands hang loosely at your sides.
• Then, breathe in and out deeply, raising your arms above your head. Stretch your spine. Your body should form a straight line.
• As you exhale, bend forward. Make sure your back is straight and your knees are straight. Beginners can bend your knees slightly. Touch your hands to your toes. Your forehead should be between your knees. Your elbows should not buckle. Your neck, shoulders, and arms should remain completely relaxed.
• Hold this position for about 60 seconds or as long as you find comfortable or relaxed, breathing calmly.
• Then slowly return to the starting position, bending your back upwards again. Tighten your abdominal and gluteal muscles as you do this. Ultimately, you can decide whether you want to forcefully return to the starting position or gently straighten your back, vertebra by vertebra, until you reach the starting position.
• Afterwards you will feel the effect of the exercise.

Beginners may find the pose a little difficult at first, but with a little patience, the pose will become easy. More advanced practitioners can place their hands under their feet from the front or sides. If this is too difficult, you can also bend your knees first and then slowly straighten your legs again. Advanced practitioners can also actively draw the top of their head toward the tops of their feet. Advanced practitioners can place their forearms behind their calves and grasp their elbows with their hands. The knees can be bent slightly at first and only then extended. This allows the difficulty of Padahastasana to be gradually increased to optimize its effects.

What benefits can you achieve with Padahastasans?

This yoga pose has several positive effects: It slims and tones the waist, can keep your spine flexible, and stretches the tendons in your legs and muscles, such as the calf muscles, hamstrings, glutes, and back extensors. This is especially true in the back of your knees. It can loosen the hip and shoulder joints. The asana opens the back, shoulders, and thigh muscles. It relaxes the neck and can have a therapeutic effect on carpal tunnel syndrome. It can stimulate and improve digestion and reduce constipation. Padahastasana also supports blood flow to the brain, thus re-energizing it. Padahastasana has an invigorating and energizing effect.

Conclusion

Padahastasana, the standing forward bend, is a good exercise for people who sit a lot, perhaps because of their job. It stretches the various muscles and ligaments in the back of the body, from the heels to the mid-back. However, the asana is not suitable for everyone. Those with back problems such as sciatica or a herniated disc should practice the exercise with caution. The same applies to problems with the wrist or thigh muscles, high blood pressure, heart disease, or excessive stomach acid. In these cases, this exercise is also not recommended. In these cases, a gentler yoga pose should be used instead to avoid harming the body.
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