WARRIOR 2 & SIDE ANGLE POSE

Extended Side Angle Pose

Utthita Parshva Konasana

(UT-ti-tuh pahrsh-vuh-ko-NAHS-uh-nuh)
Pose Type: standing, side bend
Drishti Point: Hastagrai or Hastagrahe (hands)

How to Perform the Pose:

1. Begin by standing in Mountain Pose (Tadasana). Engage your mula bandha, uddhiyana bandha,

and ujjayi breathing.

2. Inhale and step your feet about wrist-distance apart with toes facing forward and feet parallel to

each other. Expand your chest and hold your arms straight out to the sides parallel to the floor.

3. Keep your legs strong and straight by engaging your quadriceps and pulling the kneecaps up. Turn

your left foot 90 degrees to the left. Turn your right foot 45 degrees to the left as much as possible.

4. Exhale and bend your left knee until your left thigh is parallel to the floor, coming into Warrior 2

Pose (Virabhadrasana 2).

5. On the exhale, bend to the left and drop your left elbow to the left thigh. Reach your right arm over

your head and rotate your chest to the side until your right shoulder is on top of your left shoulder.

6. You can experiment with bringing your left palm to the floor on the inside of your left thigh or the

outside of your thigh.

7. Hold the pose for at least 30, and up to 90, seconds in order to receive the full benefits of the

stretch. Exhale as you release the pose. Inhale as you press strongly into both feet to come up.

8. Exhale, come back to Mountain Pose (Tadasana) and repeat on the right side.

Modification:

1. arm to the inside of the thigh


2. elbow on the thigh


3. arm to the outside of the thigh

utthita = extended, rising, risen

parsva = side

kona = angle