Prasārita Pādottānāsana


Prasārita Pādottānāsana or Wide Stance Forward Bend is a standing forward bend asana in modern yoga as exercise.

Etymology and origins

The name comes from the Sanskrit Prasarita meaning "spread out", Pada meaning "foot", Uttan meaning "extended", and Asana meaning "posture" or "seat".
The pose is not found in medieval hatha yoga texts. It is described in the 20th century by Krishnamacharya in Yoga Makaranda and Yogasanagalu, and also by his to pupils, Pattabhi Jois in his Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, and B. K. S. Iyengar in his Light on Yoga.

Description

This is a standing pose with the feet wide apart and the body folded forward and down until in the completed pose the head touches the ground and the hands are placed flat on the ground, the tips of the fingers in line with the heels, the arms bent at right angles. In |Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, four variant forms of the asana, which is considered fundamental to that style of yoga, are identified.

Variations

The reclining form of the pose is Supta Konasana.