UPAVIṢṬHA KOṆĀSANA
(oo-puh-VEESH-tah cone-AHS-anna)
upa a preposition or prefix to verbs and nouns, expressing “towards”
viṣṭṣha ṭ be spread
koṇa ṇ angle
āsana seat, sitting
Seated Spread-Angle Pose
Whenever we do a seated forward bend, as this pose is, it’s essential that the pelvis begin in a neutral position, that is, the pubis and tail bone should be equally distant from the floor. Very often, when a student who’s a bit tighter in the backs of the legs, groins, and outer hips sits directly on the floor, their pelvis will tilt backward so the tail bone is much closer to the floor than the pubis. Forward bending when the pelvis is more or less doing a backbend is a back injury in the making. Be sure then, if need be, to sit on a blanket or two to bring the pelvis to neutral.
1. Sit in daṇḍṇ āsana (Staf ḍ f Pose). Lean your torso back slightly on your hands and lift and open your legs to an angle of about 90 to 110 degrees, depending on your flexibility. Firm your thighs, reach out through your heels and stretch your soles.
2. Firmly press your left hand into the left groin, right where the thigh joins the pelvis. Imagine that the back thigh is anchored to the floor (or your blanket support), and with your hand turn the thigh outwardly (laterally) so the center of the knee cap like an eye looks straight up at the ceiling.
3. Exhale and rotate your torso to the right, bracing your right hand on the floor outside the hip. As with all twists, the movement is rooted in the groins. So as you continue to firmly anchor the left thigh bone, think of lifting the left hip point over the thigh and aim it at the right heel. The pelvis, in other words, should rotate with the rest of the torso. Make sure you’re not twisting from the lower back. Imagine your tail bone lengthening (but not physically dropping) toward the floor.
4. Then maintaining the anchor, inhale and reach your left hand out to hold the right foot. Keep the torso more or less upright and the left arm fully extended. If you need to round forward to hold the foot, it’s better to use a strap. Whether you have the foot directly or are using the strap, keep your left arm fully extended and draw your left humerus head (upper arm bone) back into the shoulder socket. Then imagine your arm is reaching out from the spine at the mid-back, between the shoulder blades, and that the entire left half of your back torso feeding into your left arm.
5. There’s a tendency in this twisted position for the side twisted toward to shorten and, concurrently, the side twisted away from to overstretch. In any twist, we want to lengthen the sides of the spine as evenly as possible. If need be then, try to open the right side here and bring the left ribs into the torso. Use the firm pressure of your right hand to the floor to encourage the right side’s length.
6. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. DON’T lift straight out of the twist. Swing your torso to the left to neutral between the legs, and lift then on an inhale. Reverse the directions and repeat to the left. Again be sure to exit the twist by first swinging right to neutral.
7. Now for the full pose. Press your hands against the floor just in front of your pelvis and lengthen your front torso upward through the top of the sternum (manubrium). To help with this lift, imagine your hands still firmly pressing on the thigh bones. As B.K.S. Iyengar said, and I paraphrase, you’ve got to go down to go up.
8. Now, angling forward from the groins, exhale and begin to walk your hands forward along the floor, pushing the floor away from you as you do. Carefully monitor the space between the pubis and navel. When you feel it start to diminish, stop, back off the forward bend a bit, reaffirm the lift of your sternum, then try again to angle forward. Be sure to continue lengthening your front torso so as not to hunch into the forward bend. Draw your shoulders away from your ears and maintain the width across your upper chest.
9. As you descend, your legs may start to roll in. Try to keep the two kneecap “eyes” looking straight up at the ceiling by turning the legs laterally. When you reach what you feel to be the limit of your forward bending capacity, think of pulling the floor back to you and use that pressure to again lift your sternum. Every now and then with an inhale, lift out of the forward bend slightly, draw your belly out of the deepest part of your pelvis, and with an exhale lower back down to the forward bend.
10. Stay in the pose for a minute or more, then walk your hands lightly back toward your legs and, with an inhale, lift your long front torso by drawing your tail toward the floor. Slightly bend your knees, slip your hands under your thighs and scoop your legs together. Bounce your knees on the floor a few times.
Benefits
Stretches the insides and backs of the legs
Stimulates the abdominal organs
Strengthens the spine
Calms the brain
- Contraindications: If you have a serious low back injury, sit up high on a folded blanket and keep your torso relatively upright.
- Modifications & Props: If you intend to stay a bit longer in the pose, you might lay a bolster or thickly rolled blanket on the floor between your legs, its long axis perpendicular to your torso. Be sure to have enough height so that you can rest comfortably.
- Beginners Tip: Upaviṣṭha Koṇāsana is a difficult forward bend for many beginners. If you have trouble bending even a little bit forward, it’s acceptable to bend your knees slightly. You might even support your knees on thinly rolled blankets.