Prep for a wide legged forward fold or prasarita padottanasana

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I had a question from @mylifeisforliving a few days ago about how to work towards a wide legged seated forward fold or prasarita padottanasana (see my Instagram posts here and here if you're not sure what that looks like). Even though that posture might look relatively simple, I completely understand her question!

For some people sitting with their legs wide apart is naturally quite comfortable. For me the complete opposite has been true until pretty recently. I spent quite a lot of time horse riding when I was growing up without any thought of ever stretching, which left me with strong but very tight adductors (inner thigh muscles) and hip flexors (the muscles that you'd use to bring your knee up towards your chest). So whenever I tried to sit with my legs wide:

•  well firstly, they wouldn't actually move that far apart
• I couldn't sit up straight at all, and felt like I was falling over backwards
• I'd get cramp in my hip flexor muscles
• If for some reason I was daft enough to then try and fold forwards, I wouldn't move at all and the cramp in my hips would just increase 😩

So instead of keep trying to force my body into a position that obviously didn't work for it, I thought I'd try a more targeted approach for a few months to see if it made any difference (💥spoiler alert💥 - it did).

It's relatively easy to stretch your hamstrings (the big muscles on the back of your thighs), especially in a vinyasa yoga practice. It happens every time you fold forwards (see my quick video here about doing that more effectively!). Hamstring flexibility comes into a wide legged fold too, but for the purposes of this blog I'm going to take it as given that you know how to stretch those muscles. Instead I'll be concentrating on the muscles that are most restricted for me in this posture: my adductors. For me, the 3 postures in the photo above allow me to access my adductors most effectively. And this is the order I'd use them in:

Photo 1 (top left): Stand with your feet wide apart on your mat and parallel. Fold forwards. If your fingers don't reach the floor use a block. Turn your right toes out 45 degrees, and bring your left hand to centre so it's directly underneath your face. Bend your right knee and use your right forearm to guide your knee out towards the little toe side of your foot. As you inhale lengthen your spine by stretching the top of your head straight forwards and sticking your tailbone out behind you. Keep that, and as you exhale lunge a little deeper and keep using your am to gently press your thigh out to the side. After a few breaths inhale to release, and exhale to repeat on the other side. Tip: don't put your arm on the top of your leg. Make sure it's on the inside - maybe even rest your fingers on your shins to help get it.

Photo 2 (top right): Stand with your feet about a metre apart, and turn both feet out about 45 degrees. Bend your knees out and sit down towards the level of your knees. Take a peek at your knees - if they seem to be collapsing inwards compared to your feet turn your toes to point a bit more forward (it won't make the posture any easier or harder, but will be a more stable position for your knees). Lean forwards and place your forearms on the inside of your thighs. As you inhale lengthen your spine by stretching the top of your head straight forwards and sticking your tailbone out behind you. As you exhale sit a little lower. Tip: this is like the previous posture, but with both knees bent instead of one. So the same applies - don't rest your arms on the top of your legs. Make sure they're on the inside, and use your arms to gently press your thighs apart while also lengthening the skin on the inside of your thighs from hips to knees.

Photo 3 (bottom centre): Sit on a block with the soles of your feet together and knees apart. Inhale and sit up as tall as you can, and think about moving the natural inward curve in your lower back further in and up. As you exhale fold forwards, but keep sticking your tailbone out behind you as much as you can (that will maximise the stretch your after). If your elbows reach your thighs then bend your arms and gently use your them to lengthen the skin on the inside of your thighs from hips to knees. Tips: instead of taking hold of your toes and pulling them towards you (which can create a twisting action in your knees), reach for your ankles instead. And don't pull as hard as you can with your arms, as that'll create tension in your neck and shoulders - be gentle!

SUPTA PADANGUSTASANA OR HAND TO BIG TOE SERIES

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Regulars to my classes or workshops will be very familiar with this: the supta padangustasana or hand to big toe series. It helps you access the muscles on the back, inside and outside of your leg/hip. 

To practise this at home you don't need a proper yoga strap. You can use a dressing gown (or normal clothes) belt, a scarf, towel or pretty much anything you have to hand. One really common issue with this posture is that when people (including me) take their top leg wide (ie top right photo) they find it really difficult to keep the bottom one anchored down. If the bottom leg lifts in this position then the action of taking the top leg wide is going to come less from motion in that leg, and more from the pelvis tipping to one side. So you won't be getting much of a stretch along the inside of your top leg because your pelvis is just tilting to the side. 

There's an easy way to stop that happening. Say you're starting with your right leg: lay on the floor with both legs straight. Take your hand to your right hip and find the bony part at the side, at the widest part of your hip (anatomy fans: this is your greater trochanter). Put a yoga block on the floor next to you, snugly up against that bony part on the right side of your hip. Probably most comfortable will be one of the flatter blocks, but if not a brick block will work too. And if you don't have blocks try a firm cushion, or a rolled-up towel, or a book (whatever you have nearby!). Leaving that support where it is, bring your right knee into your chest, place your strap around the ball (widest part just below your toes) of your right foot and take that leg up to the ceiling. Then take that top leg out to the right. Notice how the support next to your right hip helps stop the weight of that leg pulling your pelvis off centre. And if your pelvis can stay square, the motion will be coming more from your leg and you may find you get a more effective stretch on your inner thigh. Most people also find that being able to relax into the support by their hip means they can hold the posture a little longer too. 

There's also a simple way to deepen the stretch in the bottom right photo. Say you have the strap in your left hand and are taking your right leg across your body (as I am in the photo). Take your right thumb into your right hip crease, so below the bony part at the front of your hip and just where the top of your leg joins your torso.  Your thumb is right at the very top of your leg and your fingers wrap around towards your bum. Use that hand to move your hip away from you. And rather than just pushing with your hand, instead think roll your outer hip down and away from your face. The hand holding the strap makes sure that your foot doesn't move away from your face at the same time. It's a reasonably strong movement with your right hand (within reason, obviously!). And remember: don't just push with that hand; roll your outer hip down and away from you. 

See how these adjustments work for you and send us a message if you have any questions! 

revolved triangle or parivrtta trikonasana

There's a lot going on in this posture, revolved triangle or parivrtta trikonasana: flexibility in front leg to reach your arm down; in the outer hip of the front leg to turn towards it; in your back to be able to twist round. The list goes on! 

My main tip for this posture is to spend time getting your set up right before you try to move into it (although that probs goes for every other yoga pose too! 😂). 

- Stand at the front of your mat and take a step back with one (eg left) foot

- Then here's the key bit: you want your hips to be facing straight forward towards the front of your mat. The tendency will be for them to face to the side of the leg you stepped back with - here my left. If that happens to you there are two ways to make it easier to square your hips forward...

- Firstly, step your back foot nearer to the edge of your mat, so that your feet aren't one behind each other (they're more like hip width apart)

- Secondly, check your back foot isn't turning out to the side. If it is, turn it so that your toes are pointing to the top (for me here it's the top left) corner of your mat. Both of those should help you to turn your hips forward

- Once your foundation (ie legs and hips) is set, you'll have a more solid base to move on. On an inhale lift your chest, and as you exhale fold forward

- Move your front hip (here my right) a little towards the back of your mat. Inhale lengthen your spine forwards and as you exhale start to turn your chest towards your front leg

- Take your opposite hand (here my left) to the outside of your front leg. It doesn't matter if it reaches the floor, your ankle, your shin or the outside of your thigh

- As you inhale lengthen the top of your head forwards, and as you exhale turn your chest more. Once you feel stable enough reach your other hand up to the ceiling

- Come out on an inhale. Repeat in the other side 🌟