Yoga_Journal_-_February_2016_USA_

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.