Prasārīta Pādottānāsana
Feet wide, crown hanging; a grounded, cooling half-inversion that lengthens the spine without demanding hamstring flexibility.
How to practice
Exhale to fold; long, quiet breaths while inverted; inhale to rise.
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Step the feet wide (about one leg's length), toes turned slightly in, outer edges of the feet parallel.
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Hands on hips, inhale and lift the chest; exhale and hinge forward from the hips with a long spine.
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Lower the hands to the floor, blocks, or clasp them behind the back; let the head hang.
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Keep the weight even across both feet and the knees softly unlocked.
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Hold 5–10 breaths; to come up, hands to hips and rise on an inhale with a flat back.
Benefits
- Stretches the hamstrings, calves, hips and lower back
- Decompresses the spine and rests the heart
- Opens the shoulders when the hands clasp behind the back
- Calms the mind, a cooling posture for heated, busy days
Contraindications & cautions
- Unmedicated high blood pressure, glaucoma or eye surgery; keep the torso horizontal or come up slowly
- Hamstring tears, bend the knees generously
- Lower-back disc issues, stay halfway with hands on a chair
Skip or modify the pose on days a caution applies to you, and work with a qualified teacher for injuries, pregnancy or health conditions.
In the tradition
Forward bends are the traditional antidote to intensity, haṭha texts frame them as calming, inward postures. Because the feet stay grounded, this one settles vāta while it cools pitta, making it one of the most broadly useful folds to linger in.
Sources & further reading
- Light on Yoga , B. K. S. Iyengar (Prasārīta Pādottānāsana)
- Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha , Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Classical citations mark where a tradition is drawn on; modern books and videos are shared as further guidance, not as prescriptions.