How to Do: Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

ByFrancois

Targets: Hamstrings, calves

Level: Beginner

Uttanasana, also known as standing forward fold, is a full body stretch commonly practiced as a transitional yoga pose in Vinyasa yoga.

This pose is an essential part of Sun Salutation A and B, It also prepares the body for deeper forward bends.

It is an intense stretch, particularly for the hamstrings and back. But it is still regarded as a relaxing and stress-relieving pose.  

This standing forward fold is a great pose for counteracting backbends.

Uttanasana is a deeply relaxing stretch when practiced correctly but be careful not to push too hard. Remember, the more you relax in this pose, the deeper your stretch will be.

Forcing forward folds will only cause your muscles to shorten and resist. Breathe deeply and settle into the pose.

Standing Forward Bend Pose: Step-By-Step

  1. Start in Mountain Pose (Tadasana), with the feet parallel and separated hip distance apart.
  2. Place your hands on your hips and inhale to reach the crown of the head up toward the ceiling and find length along the spine.
  3. Inhale. Bring your hands and arms above your head with the palms facing each other.
  4. On your next exhale, begin to hinge at the hips and fold forward over the legs, bringing the torso to fold over the legs, moving from the hips, not the lower back.
  5. You can swan dive, bringing your arms to your sides and folding forward, or bring your hands to your heart and hinge forward through your hip joints with a flat back.
  6. Counterbalance your body weight by moving your tailbone and hips back slightly as the body leans forward.
  7. Do not lock your knees.
  8. Take as much of a bend in your knees as you need to here to take any tension out of the low back and allow the head to hang heavy. Either let the arms gently hang or take a hold of opposite elbows. If it feels comfortable, you can also bring the fingertips to the ground, or press the palms against the calves to move even deeper.
  9. Keep your hips over your heels as you press your heels into the floor. Roll the top of your inner thighs slightly in. 
  10. Engage your quadriceps muscles and draw them up. The more you use your quads, the more the hamstrings will open.
  11. Bring your weight a little bit forward into the balls of your feet so that your hips stay over your ankles.
  12. With each inhale, lift and lengthen the torso slightly
  13. With each exhale, release more deeply into the pose
  14. Take deep inhalations through your nose and long exhalations through the mouth
  15. Breathe and hold for 4-8 breaths, actively pressing the belly into the thighs on the inhalation.
  16. Slowly rise on an inhale. Bring your hands to your shins then your hips, and slowly rise. Focus on coming out of the pose vertebra-by-vertebra. Your head should be the last to rise. Return to mountain pose. 

Benefits of Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana):

Uttanasana combines the benefits of both forward folds and inversions. Dropping your head below your heart calms your brain. This helps to relieve stress, headaches, anxiety, fatigue, depression, and insomnia. 

Uttanasana also deeply stretches and lengthens your hamstrings and calves. It opens the hips and can relieve tension in the neck and shoulders. Practicing this pose also stimulates the liver and kidneys, while improving digestion. It will relieve tension in the lower back when practiced with bent knees.

  1. It Helps Combat Stress, Anxiety and Depression – This pose tells your body that you are in a relaxed state, which in turn calms the nervous system and relieves stress. If you incorporate your deep yogic breathing, you’ll experience even more stress relieving benefits. Breathing exercises activates the parasympathetic nervous system that lowers your bodies stress response. You’ll feel a decreased level of depression and anxiety.
  2. Stretches Tight Hamstrings – Forward Fold is perfect for stretching and lengthening tight hamstrings and calves.
  3. Engages Your Hips – Forward Fold also activates your hip joints. Tight hamstrings and stiff hips are often related. Tight hamstrings that tug on the lower back can be a cause for lower back pain. So, this pose can be especially beneficial for reducing hip and back pain issues. A deep forward fold allows the hip flexors to stretch and lengthen and helps restore balance and strength in the hips and pelvic region.
  4. Improved Digestion – Forward Fold stimulates digestion by massaging your abdominal area. The position of the body with navel sucked into the spine increases circulation and helps food travel more easily through the colon.

Caution when performing Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana) :

  • Uttanasana  takes years to be performed at its fullest expression. If you push your body too hard too attain the deepest variation of the pose you can easily injure yourself. So until you have the flexibility to do the pose in proper alignment, practice with a block or with your knees bent until you can straighten your legs without over-rounding your back.
  • If you suffer from back pain you should practice this pose with bent knees, or only perform Half Standing Forward Fold (Ardha Uttanasana). Stay within your body’s limits and abilities.
  • Do not hyper extend your knees back. Rather focus on pressing the upper legs back and engaging the quadriceps.
  • If you have any back injuries, please check with your health practitioner. You may need to modify or avoid them depending on your condition.

Avoid Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana) if you have one of these conditions:

  • Lower-back injury
  • Hamstring tear
  • Sciatica
  • Glaucoma, detached retina
  •  

Tips For Beginners:

  • If you’re having trouble balancing, stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
  • Make sure the front of your torso stays long in Uttanasana. It’s easy to injure your back and to hyperextend your knee joints.
  • Bend your knees as much as you need to or place your hands on a block or chair to keep this length as you fold. Then gradually straighten the legs by engaging the thigh muscles.
  • If your hands do not reach the blocks, keep them on your thighs. Bend your knees a bit more. Let your head drop and relax your neck.
  • Focus on bringing your belly to your thighs, rather than your head to your knees or your hands to the ground. Try bending knees deeply and resting your belly on your thighs.
  • Make sure to fold from the hips, not the waist. Practice this movement by placing your hands directly on your front hip bones. Press your hands into your front hip bones and hinge from that spot, keeping your torso long.
  • Try aligning your ankles, knees, and hips for proper weight distribution.
  • Internally rotating your thighs will help you to spread your sitting bones, giving you more room to fold.
  • Prioritize lengthening the spine over depth in the pose.
  • Distribute your bodyweight evenly in the feet. Don’t rock back into your heels when forward bending, try to press through the ball of your big toes while lifting the arch and also grounding through the heels.
  • You can practice bringing your arms overhead or out to the side as you fold to improve your core stability and strength.
  • To deepen the stretch, you can place a folded mat or towel under the balls of your feet.

Common Beginner Mistakes in Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana):

  • DON’T round your upper back and roll your shoulders forward
  • DON’T fold from your back, or your spine will curve. Fold from your pelvis.
  • DON’T lock your knees and round your lower back
  • DON’T use your hands to pull yourself into a deeper forward bend. Too much pulling can cause overstretching of the sacroiliac ligaments in those who are flexible, and damage discs and tear muscles in those who are very stiff.
  • A common mistake in a forward fold is a lack of muscle engagement. There are two thing you must focus on. The first is to press your thighs back and engage your quadriceps. The more your quadriceps are engaged the more easily your hamstrings can lengthen. The second is to engage your core. Drawing your belly up towards your spine will protect your lower back and lengthen the psoas to help you extend your spine even more.

Advanced Variations And Similar Poses:

If you have tight hamstrings this might seem like an unattainable pose. But with regular practice your hamstrings will loosen and lengthen.

  • Ardha Uttanasana (halfway lift). From forward fold, inhale and engage your abdominal muscles, flatten your back, and lift halfway up with your hands on you shins or thighs. This will give you more length in your spine. On an exhale, release back into a forward fold.
  • Ragdoll pose. From the forward folding position, take hold of opposite elbows and sway back and forth gently. This variation is especially beneficial for releasing stiffness in the back.
  • Interlace your fingers behind your back while forward bending. Draw your hands up to the ceiling and them overhead. This introduces a shoulder opener and the element of balance.
  • Padangusthasana. In this similar pose, the fingers of each hand are hooking on to the big toe of each foot, and the strength of the arms is used to pull the chest closer to the upper thighs, while bending your elbows out to either side.
  • Pada Hastasana. Here the palms of the hands are tucked underneath the soles of the feet, with the toes meeting the wrists for a deep hamstring and wrist stretch.

How To Breathe In This Pose:

Inhale as you lengthen the spine. Exhale as you perform the forward bend, drawing your belly button inwards. Maintain this rhythm throughout the forward bend. Maintaining the length of the spine on the in breath and drawing the belly button in on the out breath protects the lower back and sacroiliac joint from over stretching.

Conclusion:

Always pay attention to your body, never force a pose, and recognize that there will be easier days than others.

Remember practice is progress but too much practice can cause damage and overstretching or even tearing of muscles and tendons.

Remember. While standing forward fold requires some spinal flexion (bending forward at the joints of the lumbar spine) at the end range of movement, the primary and most movement is at the hip joints.

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