Parsvottanasana is a SANSKRIT word that means Parsva means ''Side'', UT means ''Intense'', Tan means ''Stretch'' and Asana means ''Pose''. This is also known as ''Intense Side Stretch Pose or Pyramid Pose'' in English. Parsvottanasana is a powerful yoga for building up body posture and developing inner confidence. This asana helps to bend your body on one side and do a deep stretch. This asana is beneficial in stretching the hips, legs, and hamstrings, peace of mind, and improving the digestive system.
Stand in mountain pose. Spread your legs and keep them at a 3 to 4 feet distance. Turn your right-side leg outward to 90 degrees and your left-side leg at a 45-degree angle. turn your upper body to the right side. Stretch your hands to the same side of the floor. Rotate the shoulders internally and bring your palms, to make a reverse prayer pose. Shoulders are back and open up the chest. Breathe in lengthening your spine. Breathe out and bend forward, keeping the pelvis square and the hips backward. Try to bring the chest to your shin and near the belly area. Breathe in and bend forward, keeping the pelvis square push the hips backward. Try to reach the chest to your shin and belly touching your thigh. stay in this position and relax your neck for 60 seconds.
Benefits of Parsvottanasana yoga:
There are the most important health benefits of Parsvottanasana are,
1. Parsvottanasana helps to increase the stretch of the hips, legs, and hamstrings
2. This pose helps to improve body posture.
3. Parsvottanasana helps to balance the body and mind.
4. Perform continuous practice of this asana automatically massage the abdominal system.
5. This asana helps to improve digestion
6. Daily practices of Parsvottanasana helps calms the mind and active mind.
7. This asana perform the women but pregnant women should avoid it.
8. Parsvottanasana helps to control high blood pressure.
Step by step Parsvottanasana yoga:
1. Stand in Tadasana. (Step 1) Inhale deeply and stretch the body forward.
2. Join the palms behind the back and draw the shoulders and elbows back.
3. Exhale, turn the wrists and bring both palms up above the middle of the back of the chest, the fingers at the level of the shoulder blades.You are doing 'namaste' (the Indian gesture of respect by folding the hands) with your hands behind your back. (Step 2)
4. Inhale and with a jump spread the legs apart sideways 3 to 3! feet. Stay in this position and exhale.
5. Inhale and turn the trunk to the right. Turn the right foot 90 degrees sideways to the right keeping the toes and heel in a line with the trunk; turn the left foot with the leg 75 to 80 degrees to the right and keep the left foot stretched out and the leg tightened at the knee. Throw the head back. (Step 3)
6. Exhale, bend the trunk forward and rest the head on the right knee. Stretch the back and gradually extend the neck until the nose, then the lips and lastly the chin touch and then rest beyond the right knee. (Step 4) Tighten both the legs by pulling the knee-caps up.
7. Stay in the pose from 20 seconds to half a minute with normal breathing. Then slowly move the head and trunk towards the left knee by swinging the trunk round the hips. At the same time turn the left foot 90 degrees towards the left and the right foot 75 to 80 degrees to the left. Now raise the trunk and head as far back as you can, without bending the right leg. This movement should be done with one inhalation.
8. Exhale, bend the trunk forward, rest the head on the left knee and gradually extend the chin beyond the left knee by stretching the neck as in position 6.
9. After holding the pose from 20 seconds to half a minute with normal breathing, inhale, move the head to the centre and the feet to their original position so that the toes point forward. Then raise the trunk up.
10. Exhale and jump back to Tadasana (Step 1), releasing the hands from the back.
11. If you cannot fold the hands together behind the back, just grip the wrist and follow the above technique. (Step 5 and Step 6)
