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About Practice Uttanasana
Uttanasana, also known as Intense Forward-Bending pose or Standing Forward Bend is a cultural yoga asana.
It is derived from the Sanskrit words “uttana” meaning “intense stretch or bend” and “asana” meaning “pose”.
Definition Of Uttanasana
As the name says, Uttanasana is the straight downwards bend of the upper body with the palms placed firmly on the ground.
This pose stretches the whole body and is meant for relaxation and calming of the mind.
How Is Uttanasana Performed?
You can perform Uttanasana accurately by following these steps:
- Stand straight in Tadasana keeping your shoulders and feet at a distance and parallel to each other.
- Raise your hands while taking a deep breath.
- Bend forward from your hip joints and not from your waist while exhaling.
- Maintain the length in front of the body.
- Keeping the knees straight, if possible, slowly place your hands or your fingertips on the ground near your feet, or on the back of the ankles.
- Press your heels firmly on the floor and raise your rear end slightly towards the ceiling.
- Roll the top of your inner thighs slightly inward.
- In this pose, with every inhalation lengthen and pull your front torso a bit and with every exhalation release it into the forward bend. In this way, your torso fluctuates with your breath.
- Let your head hang from your spine for a good 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Reaffirm your hands on your hips and slowly stand up with a deep breath.
Benefits Of Practicing Uttanasana
Uttanasana has a lot of benefits if performed on a regular basis:
- Helps to relieve stress.
- Increases blood circulation.
- Calms your mind.
- Improves cellular growth.
- Relieves mild depression.
- Stimulates kidneys and liver and improves your digestion.
- Stretches your spine, hamstrings, and hips.
- Reduces anxiety and exhaustion.
- Helps to reduce insomnia and headaches.
- Strengthens your knees and thighs.
- Cures high blood pressure and asthma.
- Helps to reduce the symptoms during menopause.
- Therapeutic for osteoporosis and infertility.
- Balances the nervous system.
- Improves the endocrine system.
Precautions To Be Maintained While Practicing Uttanasana
While performing the Intense Forward-Bending pose, you must maintain the following precautions:
- Do not perform this asana with straight knees during a back injury.
- In the case of an injury in the legs, hips, or shoulders, avoid practicing this asana.
- Do not perform this asana if you have recently got a back or knee surgery.
Practice this asana regularly early in the morning to obtain peace of mind and to release stress.