your practice
ANATOMYUttanasana
Standing Forward Bend, variation
This Uttanasana asymmetrical variation
favours a stretch in your outer hamstrings,
the biceps femoris. The pose is great for
practitioners who have a limited range of
motion in their hamstrings.
HOW TOBegin in Uttanasana with both
knees bent, feet hip-width apart. Place one
block under your right foot and one next to
the outside of your left foot. Lean your weight
forward as you try to straighten both knees.
Walk your hands to the left to place them on
the block, and lean your hips to the right to
emphasize the stretch on your right hip and
right hamstrings. Breathe deeply for
30–60 seconds, then switch sides.
STRENGTHEN-TO-LEGTHEN CHALLENGE
Put pressure on the block under your foot
and simultaneously try to slide it to the right
without actually moving it. Do this for 10–20
seconds, then repeat on the other side.Supta
Padangusthasana
Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose,
variation
This classic pose reveals the truth
behind your current hamstring length.
By lying on the floor with one foot
against a wall, you can keep both
your pelvic bones and spine in neutral
positions as you explore the range
of motion in your raised leg (which
is permitted by the length of your
hamstrings).
HOW TO Wrap a strap around the
middle of your right foot. Lie on the
ground with the bottom of your left
foot against a wall and your left toes
pointed toward the ceiling. Engage your
core, maintaining a neutral spine. Note
the position of both pelvic (ilia) bones
as you begin; your ilia should never tilt
or shift. Grasp the strap and bring your
right hip into flexion without changing
the position of your pelvis or spine. As
soon as you feel a stretch on the back
of your right thigh, stop pulling and
breathe deeply. Once the stretching
sensation dissipates (30–60 seconds),
switch sides.
STRENGTHEN-TO-LEGTHEN
CHALLENGE Harness the strap firmly
around your heel, and try to push your
right thigh back toward the ground
without allowing your thigh to move.
Hold for 10–20 seconds.Purvottanasana
Upward Plank Pose
This is one of the few classic yoga poses that
requires concentric contraction (shortening) of
the hamstrings along with the whole posterior
chain of muscles—the calves, glutes, and back
muscles. Thanks to our increasingly sedentary
lifestyles, we tend to be weaker in the back of
our bodies than in the front. This back-body
strengthener is an excellent antidote to this
common problem.
HOW TOSit in Dandasana (Staff Pose) with
your torso upright and legs outstretched
in front of you. Slide your palms backward
approximately 20–25cm, with your fingers
pointing toward your feet. (In the full
expression of the final pose, your shoulders
should stack above your wrists.) Point your
toes so that the soles of your feet plant into
the ground, then engage all of your back-body
muscles to lift off the floor into a reverse-incline
plank. Internally rotate your hips by squeezing
your thighs toward one another. Hold the pose
until you can no longer sustain all of these
actions.
STRENGTHEN-TO-LEGTHEN CHALLENGETry
pulling your heels toward your bottom without
allowing your knees to bend. Even though
your heels won’t move very far, you should
feel your hamstrings engage, which will build
strength.92
january 2018yogajournal.com.au3 poses to keep your
hamstrings healthy
OUR PRO Writer Jill Miller is the creator of Yoga Tune Up and The Roll Model Method, and author of The
Roll Model: A Step-by-Step Guide to Erase Pain, Improve Mobility, and Live Better in Your Body. She has
presented case studies at the Fascia Research Congress and the International Association of Yoga Therapists
Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research, and she teaches at yoga conferences worldwide. Learn more
at yogatuneup.com. Model Colleen Saidman Yee is a yoga instructor with more than 30 years of practicing
experience. She is the owner of Yoga Shanti studios in New York City and author of Yoga for Life.