Start sitting down with the legs straight in front of you.
Bend the legs and open the knees out so that the soles of the feet touch one another. Placing the hills of the feet close to you.
Keep the back straight, place the elbows on the thighs and open the soles of the feet outwards. Apply some pressure on the legs with the arms to bring the legs down as far as them go. Breathe normally.
Breathe out and bend the torso forwards keeping the elbows on the thighs. Breathe normally. Hold this position for about 30 seconds. To come out lift the torso upwards, release the feet and straighten the legs.
This posture helps to open the hips and stretch the back, sole of the feet and the inner thigh.
Its also helps to open the hips during pregnancy. See our pre-natal yoga session for a variation of this posture.
Hatha Yoga Postures: Sanskrit – English
Marcia has been practising yoga for over 20 years and has specialised in the Hatha and Ashtanga schools of yoga, although has also enjoyed learning other branches such as Iyengar. As well as yoga she practices meditation, and plays a wide range of sports, including badminton, cricket, cycling, and walking.