Cool Down and Prep for Inversions with Prasarita Padottanasana | iHanuman

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Cool Down and Prep for Inversions with Prasarita Padottanasana

Prasarita Padottanasana A

I often exclaim that I cannot imagine NOT doing Yoga simply because of inverted poses. I feel so lucky to have discovered yoga during a time in my life when I was strong and somewhat fearless, because I jumped head first ( pun intended ) into practicing inversions and I have never looked back . I often wonder how out of balance I might feel if I did not practice inversions. But I also understand that practicing inversions can not only be scary but require a significant amount of strength. The Iyengar Method teaches us that preparation is required to practice these poses. How do you prepare for inversions? Standing Poses, Standing Poses, Standing Poses!

Standing poses give you strength and stability to tackle all of the rest of the yoga poses, including inversions.

One standing pose that will put you right on the edge of practicing an inversion is Prasarita Padottanasana - Extended Legs Wide Apart Pose. This pose is also beneficial to practice in the summer because it can have a cooling effect. Practice this pose slowly, pausing with the spine extended and the gaze forward before bowing down and moving the crown of the head towards the floor. Take the stance a little wider than most of the other standing poses and place a block on the floor in between the feet if the head does not reach the ground. Feel the strength in the legs and press firmly into your palms to raise the shoulders up the back towards the sacrum.

After several sessions practicing this pose, begin to notice that the strength in the arms brings lightness to the feet and eventually the heels will lift and finally the toes will lift. Before long, the legs float up towards the sky and you are practicing inversions. We will offer several other techniques for practicing inverted poses in coming weeks. What are some of your favorite preparations for inversions? Below is a video iHanuman created with John Schumacher teaching Prasarita Padottanasana. Enjoy!

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