41
february 2016
yogajournal.com
PHOTOS: RICK CUMMINGS; MODEL: NICKI DOANE; STYLIST: EMILY CHOI; HAIR/MAKEUP: BETH WALKER; TOP: BEYOND YOGA; BOTTOMS: ANJALI
YOGAPEDIA
practice well
supta = reclining · pada = foot · angustha = big toe · asana = pose
Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose
Supta Padangusthasana
Poses of the month
How to move from Supta Padangusthasana
to Adho Mukha Svanasana
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Benefits
Stretches and tones your hamstrings;
strengthens your abdominal muscles; increases
circulation to your digestive system
Instruction
1 Lie on your back and bring your left knee
into your chest. Place your left index and middle
fingers between the big and second toes of your
left foot. Wrap your thumb around to grip the
big toe (a.k.a. a yogi grip).
2 Inhale and simultaneously straighten both
legs. If you have trouble activating your bottom
leg, start with your knees slightly bent and the
bottoms of your feet against a wall. By pressing
into the wall, you’ll be able to more easily acti-
vate your right leg muscles.
3 Place your right hand on your right thigh
to ground the right leg.
4 Contract the quadriceps of your left leg
to stretch the left hamstrings. You should feel
a stretch in the belly, or middle, of your ham-
strings. If you feel stretch or strain by your sit-
ting bone, then move the outer left hip down,
toward your right foot, to lengthen your left
waist and shift the stretch.
5 Exhale to engage Mula Bandha and raise your
head and shoulders. Bend your left arm down to
avoid tension in your neck, and pull your left leg
toward your forehead without bending the knee.
6 Breathe freely through your nose for 10 rounds.
7 Inhale to release your left toe; exhale to lower
your leg to the floor.
8 Repeat on the other side.
OUR PROS Teacher Eddie Modestini is co-founder and co-director of Maya Yoga Studio on Maui, Hawaii. Since 1983, he has studied with preeminent teachers
including B.K.S. Iyengar and Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. He has a degree in exercise physiology and has taught advanced bodywork techniques. Teacher and model
Nicki Doane is the other co-founder and co-director of Maya Yoga Studio. She teaches workshops and trainings worldwide. Learn more at mayayogastudio.com.
By Eddie Modestini and Nicki Doane
Supta
Padangusthasana
modifi cations, page 42
Adho Mukha
Svanasana prep,
pages 44–45
Adho Mukha
Svanasana,
pages 46–47
Supta
Padangusthasana
DON’T pull on the upper leg so much that you
lift the lower leg off the floor. If your bottom
leg doesn’t stay grounded, you won’t experi-
ence the full benefits of the hamstring stretch.
DON’T bend either knee. This pushes the
stretch out of your hamstrings and into
the tendons near your sitting bones, where
most hamstring strains or tears occur.