CHENNAI: STEPS: From the sitting dandasan,widen the stance of your legs one at a time very slowly. Make sure knees are kept straight and the entire leg is making contact with the floor. The back of the legs will feel very stretched. Hold at one width for a few moments if the stretch feels intense. After some time make an effort to try widening the stance more.
Hold your big toes with two fingers (index and middle) and the thumb. (Modification: I prefer to push the insides of my feet outward instead of holding the big toes.) Next take a deep breath and lift the chest and ribs upward allowing the diaphragm to move up. Hold. Exhale and lower the upper body down. You may place the head, chin and forehead on the floor followed by the chest. The transition between placing the forehead on the floor followed by the chin is made by stretching the neck forward. Breathe for a few breathing cycles in the final position all the while pushing the feet outward and keeping the legs straight. To come out of the pose inhale, release the feet and lift the upper body off the floor, sit up and slowly bring the legs to the midline one at a time. Before bringing the legs in, you may try lowering the head towards one knee followed by the other.
TIP: When bringing the legs back together keep the knees slightly bent this is for the safety of the knee joint. (Very few teachers give this tip).
BENEFITS: This is an excellent stretch for the hamstrings, as well as inner thighs, relieves sciatica, and helps blood circulation in the pelvis. It is good for hernia and also regularizes menstrual cycles. It is a cure for polycystic ovarian disease (commonly known as PCOS or PCOD) as it stimulates the ovaries.
CAUTION: Go and come out of this pose slowly – set aside 10 minutes for this pose.
(Anshu Vyas Seetharaman is a yoga and fitness trainer at Sri Aurobindo Society, Bengaluru)