Yoga Pose – Side Angle

Wellness Lesson: Yoga pose series…Thanks again to Jessica Turner for her inputs this week!

 

 

Side Angle Pose

Parsvakonasana

Continuing our series of standing yoga poses, this week we will look closer at Side Angle Pose.  This pose is also taken during our strength and endurance sequences of class and, similar to Virabhadrasana II, strengthens the legs and increases stamina, but also stimulates the abdominal organs.  This pose stretches the groins, spine, waist, chest and lungs, and shoulders.  Keep your chest lifted and shoulders open, don’t allow the upper body to collapse.

To find your Side Angle Pose, start in your Warrior II pose (See Warrior II Blog).  Try to keep your front thigh parallel to the floor as you bend your front elbow and place it on your bent leg (left shown).  Keep the weight in your lower body and try not to allow your weight to rest in that bent arm.  Keep your lower belly muscles engaged, slightly lifting your pelvic floor so that your hips and gluts don’t stick out behind you.  Mentioned above, do not allow the upper body to collapse (common in this pose!), think about keeping the same amount of length in both sides of your ribcage.  Relax your shoulders away from your ears and lift your back arm above your head allowing your head turn to gaze up toward your lifted hand.

To extend your Side Angle Pose (Uttitha Parsvakonasana), allow your front hand to lower towards the floor (use a block to start if you need to).  Remember to keep your chest lifted, shoulders open and breathe deeply!  Return to Warrior II to come out of this pose.

Side Angle Pose stretches the hip and groin of the back leg and is a great preparatory pose for deeper stretches such as Bound Angle Pose (Butterfly) and Frog Pose.

Benefits of this pose:

• Strengthens and stretches the legs, knees, and ankles
• Stretches the groins, spine, waist, chest and lungs, and shoulders
• Stimulates abdominal organs
• Increases stamina

Hope you enjoyed this review of Side Angle Pose! Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.