Seated forward fold - Paschimottanasana
Can’t touch your toes? No problem! Guess what, the purpose of a forward fold isn’t about touching your toes or even how far you can reach. In fact, the purpose of any Yoga poses isn’t to achieve a certain look or position, it is all about how it feels. Whether you feel a hamstring stretch sitting straight up, reaching for your knees, ankles, toes, or can press your whole torso onto your legs, no variation is more right or wrong than the other, or “better” or worse than the other. We all have different bodies with different amazing abilities, listen to what your body needs today, and always work within your edge - that magical spot where you can feel a beautiful stretch, but before any pain or discomfort sets in.
Why should I do this pose?
This is a delightful stretch for our hamstrings aka the back of our upper legs. Tight hamstrings are often associated with lower back pain, as the hamstring muscles run from your hip all the way down to your knee. Increased tension in these muscles can be putting increased stress on your hips and lumbar spine, resulting in lower back pain. While there are many different causes of lower back pain, creating flexibility in the back of our legs is a good start at relieving that tension, and bringing balance back into our legs, hips, and lower back.
How to:
Can you touch your toes?
No problem! Who cares what it looks like, let’s learn about how it’s meant to feel instead.
Sit on the floor with both legs extended, feet together or slightly apart.
Start by sitting up tall, lifting your chest and extending through your spine as if you were trying to make yourself as tall as possible.
Press sit bones into the ground and activate through heels sending your legs out long.
Reach arms up high as you can and take a deep breath in, lifting your chest and ribs up and activate through your core.
As you exhale, start to lean forward pivoting through hips, keep the length through your spine.
Let your arms reach down to find your legs wherever they meet, knees, ankles, toes etc.
Aim to find a nice stretch through the back of your legs - if there is any pain or discomfort, try coming back up slightly and go back a little bit gentler, or slightly less this time.
Once you can feel that hamstring stretch, you can let go of any tension through your neck and shoulders.
Relax with at least 5 deep breaths
Come up the opposite way you went into it - activate through your core, reach arms and chest forward and up as you bring your entire torso up slowly.
Common Mistakes
Compression through spine - quick fix: start by sitting up extra tall with your back pressing against a wall, focus your pivot point on your hips as you lean forward and stop as soon as you feel a stretch - even if that’s where are are sitting tall against that wall :)
You want to touch your toes yesterday - quick fix: listen to your body and let go of your ego. Do you want to push yourself past your limit and put your body in a compromised position prone to injury, or do you want to create a life long sustainable practice and a functionally strong and flexible body? It’s always up to you - choose wisely!
Modifications
Sit on a towel, cushion or foam block to raise your hips up and tilt forward - this can help to put your hips in a better position for you to sit up tall and keep that lower back safe.
If you have had any disc or spinal injuries please consult with your health professionals before beginning any new stretching/exercises. As always, stop immediately and gently come out of the pose if there is any pain or discomfort and seek advice from your healthcare professionals if any pain persists.
Do you have questions? I want to hear them!
I love talking/teaching/demonstrating all things Yoga, stretching and alignment - in fact I'm a bit obsessed! Feel free to always ask questions at the end of class, (usually you are not the only one thinking the same thing!) leave a comment, or find ways contact me here.