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Padangusthasana: Touch Your Toes!

November 2, 2015 By Monica Stone 2 Comments

A standing forward fold is a great way to release and let go. Most forward folds have the theme of surrender, but a standing bend is passive, so the release is a little different. 

In this Asana Lab I’m going to teach you Padungusthasana and Pada Hastasana. I’m showing them to together, so you can take your forward folds a little deeper if you would like.

Today's Asana Lab is Standing forward fold. In sanskrit it's Padunghustasana and Pada Hastasana. In this post I talk about the benefits, and how to teaches surrender. I discuss all modifications and how to slowly get to straight legs if you have tight hamstrings! Try it and let me know how it worked for you! xo, Monica (http://www.theyogimovement.com)

Here’s how to do it:

Stand in Mountain Pose, and make sure your feet are together, and your body is strong. 

Inhale while you jump the feet hip width apart. 

Exhale fold forward as you lead with the heart. Keep the spine straight. Catch the big toes with the peace fingers. Bending the knees if you need to is fine!

Inhale as you lift the head, look forward, straighten the arms as you’re holding your toes. Extend the torso as you straighten the spine. Bring your hips forward. 

Exhale as you fold forward to take the expression of the posture. Drop the head and look towards the nose. Keep the back straight. Hold for five or more breaths.

Inhale as you lift the head, look forward, straighten the arms as you’re holding your toes, and extend the torso as you straighten the spine. Place the palms under the feet so that the toes meet the wrists. This counteracts the wrist position since this comes directly after Sun Salutations. It helps to balance and release pressure from being in the opposite position for so long.

Exhale as you fold forward. Drop the head and look towards the nose. Hold for five or more breaths.

Inhale as you lift the head, look forward, straighten the arms as you’re stepping on the hands, and extend the torso as you straighten the spine.

Exhale as you release the hands and return to mountain pose or Samastitihi. 

What to do while you’re holding the posture:

When you’re in both expressions of this posture, your goal is pretty much the same… 

  • Pull in the lower belly and try to fold even more with each exhale. Try to bring your belly towards your thighs, and your forehead towards your toes.
  • Ground your feet and bring your hips forward. Don’t sit into your heels, but make sure the pressure is distributed evenly from the toes to the heel. 
  • The drishti or gaze is at the nose (nasagre). Drop your head and look towards your nose. 
  • Keep the back and spine straight the whole time. 
  • Pull up your knee caps, engage your quads, and keep those hamstrings safe!
  • If you need to bend your knees – do it!
  • Stay folded. Don’t move the body back and forth with the breaths, but stay folded with the belly in, and try to take it deeper with each breath.

Bring the awareness to your hamstrings. Work on surrendering to release them rather than stretching. With every exhale surrender a little more. It will grow slowly, and it will feel lovely each time. 

Bring the awareness to the lower back. Your lower body should be strong, but the upper body and lower back should be heavier as you passively let the fold release and deepen from the lower back. 

Use opposition of force. As you clasp the fingers around your toes, pull up on the toes, as you press down with the big toes. The toes shouldn’t leave the ground. Don’t use your arms and biceps too much. You should be just catching the toes, and letting the body surrender from the torso and lower back to create the fold.

In Ashtanga Yoga, these two postures are taught together. Usually each posture is held for five breaths, but feel free to hold them as long as you need. It might take awhile to really become aware of how to let go, and then hold the posture with total surrender. 

Make sure to pause to reflect on the physical feeling of being here. If you feel ready to go deeper, please do, but if your body is telling you to back off or slow down, then just be where you are, and try again tomorrow. 

I recommend doing a nice forward fold if you are in a bad mood, upset, or just need to destress. It feels good to let the body hang and surrender :) See more at theyogimovement.com

I also recommend taking this posture when you feel stress or anger coming on. If your boss just upset you, someone hurt your feelings, or you’re just having one of those days – just find a quiet spot and take three minutes for this posture!

Other meditative variations are to let go of the toes and grab the elbows, and let yourself hang. You can also release the arms and hands to the ground. Reach your arms around and hug your legs. 

Now finish up. Come out slowly. Smile. Have fun!

Tell me how this posture worked for you? What variation did you take? Did you notice your back or your hamstrings were feeling tight? Did you have a hard time letting go? Tell me your experience in the comments!

Love,

Monica

Filed Under: Instruction

Monica Stone

About Monica Stone

Monica is a lover of all things yoga, a vegetarian, an avid tea drinker, and never gets sick of soup and noodle dishes. She teaches yoga, practices daily, and runs a Spiritual Book Club in Orlando, FL. She likes to challenge the strict rules of yoga, and makes it accessible for everyone - especially people who suffer from daily life and work stress.

« Why I’m Adding Fitness To My Yoga Life & Why You Should Too!
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Hi! I’m Monica

Monica StoneWell hello there! I'm Monica. I'm a yoga & meditation teacher (and junkie). I teach yoga practices that are quick and effective for the busy person who just needs a few minutes of quiet time in their day. Click around and you'll find quick meditation tips for calming the mind to simple stretches to relieve stress and tension. If you are sick of being intimidated by yoga or just confused by all of the different styles out there - then this page is for you. Yoga helps me daily & I know it will help you too! I'll show you how! Welcome to The Yogi Movement :)

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Testimonials

  • Jaime ShearerJaime ShearerYoga Student Since 2012

    Monica is dedicated to her own practice and the true path of yoga - the one of personal experience - which makes her an outstanding teacher. She is warm and easy to talk with, and she allows the student to have their own experience on the mat. She explains postures and breath in ways that are understandable so that the student "gets it." She makes yoga real and tangible in ways that truly serve the student. Work with Monica. You'll be glad you did.

  • Jacob AbercrombieJacob AbercrombieYoga Student Since 2011

    have always wanted to try yoga, but was always nervous. Monica took that fear away and made me feel like i was the only one in class with a room full of strangers. She is able to work with multiple students during the same move and still make it a personalized class for one.

  • Serena JonesSerena JonesYoga Student Since 2010

    Monica has been a highly influential teacher to me. She creates a safe environment for learning and practice. I have always felt grounded in her classes, and she pushes me beyond my own expectations. She inspires and motivates! I can't imagine my life without sharing a path with her!

  • Angela OrofinoAngela OrofinoYoga Student Since 2011

    Monica is a caring, wise, thoughtful, and talented yoga instructor. She has an in-depth knowledge of the philosophy and spirituality of Ashtanga yoga. My previous yoga experience had mostly just been at my local gym. Luckily, last year I found Monica. She has been guiding my practice at least once a week since then. As a newcomer to Ashtanga yoga, Monica made me feel comfortable and had the patience to teach me the basics. She also encouraged me to start an at home practice so that I was able to obtain a deeper understanding of Ashtanga. Monica is always encouraging and lets me know in subtle ways when she feels that I am ready to move deeper into my practice. I feel that the growth in my practice over the last year has been tremendous. Not only do I notice the change in me but others around me do as well. I am so grateful to have found Monica!

  • Sasha TamarSasha TamarYoga Student Since 2012

    I’ve come across many a yoga instructor over the years, but Monica stands out as genuinely amiable, as she glows with an infectious inner light, and highly devoted to and passionate about her practice. Her dedication to Ashtanga as a lifestyle is very clear, and creates for a contagious motivating force. Every time I’ve practiced with her, she eagerly transmits her devotion and passion of Ashtanga and meditation to everyone in class; she makes the most fledgling beginner feel at home, and simultaneously challenges the more advanced students. While I only practice Ashtanga with her, I know she provides therapeutic yoga sessions as well as meditation. And, if her methods of guiding students out of the Ashtanga vigor into the more meditative savasana are indicative of her meditational techniques, I’d recommend her to anyone

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