Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Sides Angle Pose)

Utthita Parsvakonasana (oo-TEE-tah parsh-vah-cone-AHS-sanna) is quite a mouthful to pronounce, so for those who are more comfortable hearing the English name of the form, it simply translates to ‘Extended Sides Angle Pose’.

Utthita, means ‘extended’, and  parsva refers to the ‘side, flank’ of our body. Kona means ‘angle’. Throw them all into a yogic blender, and you get Extended Sides Angle Pose!

You know those multi-vitamins that you see on the shelves? Well, this pose is similar to those pills. It works on just about all parts of your body, from teaching your ankles how to bear your body weight, to strengthening your thighs, opening up your chest and shoulders, lengthening your spine, and having a healthy compression for the organs in your stomach, so as to stimulate the digestive organs.

With that said, this pose is wonderful for those who have problems moving their poo-poo, lower back pain, menstrual discomforts and also sciatica. It could also do a world of good for those who are constantly hunched over their work stations, as this chest opener will invite a breath of fresh air into their stale lungs!

Getting into the pose…

1) Stand in Tadasana. Inhale, and on an exhalation, step or lightly jump your feet 3.5- 4 feet apart. Stretch your arms out to the side, roll your shoulders to the back and turn your palms down.

2) Keeping your left foot firmly pressing into the mat, make sure the inner arches on your foot are working just as hard as the outsides of your foot. Turn your  right foot out to the right 90 degrees. Align the right heel with the left heel. The center of the kneecap should be in line with the your second toe.

3) Exhale and bend your right knee over the right ankle, so that the shin is perpendicular to the floor. As you bend the knee, try to open up the bent leg, focus on pointing your knees to the outsides of your grounded foot. Make sure your knees do not cross over your ankles! If possible, bring the right thigh parallel to the floor.

4) Extend your left arm up toward the ceiling, then turn the left palm to face toward your head. With an inhalation reach the arm over the back of your left ear, palm facing the floor. Stretch from your left heel through your left fingertips, lengthening the entire left side of your body. Turn your head to look at the left arm. Release your right shoulder away from the ear. Try to create as much length along the right side of your torso as you do along the left.

5) Keeping your left heel grounded to the floor, exhale and lay the right side of your torso as close as possible to the top of the right thigh. Press your right fingertips or palm on the floor just outside of your right foot. If this is not possible, use a block to support yourself. Push the right knee against the inner arm.

6)  Tuck your tail bone toward the pubis. The inside of your right thigh should be parallel with the long edge of your sticky mat. Stay for 5 long breaths (approximately 45 seconds)

Inhale to come up. Push both heels strongly into the floor and reach the left arm toward the ceiling to lighten the upward movement.

9) Reverse the feet and repeat for the same length of time to the left. Inhale as you come up, and return to Tadasana.