Parsvottanasana

Notes

The action of the legs in parsvottanasana is almost the same as in utthita trikonasana, and this asana can be a challenge to balance in for the same reason—the narrowness of the base and the need for the outer hip muscles to be both long and active. Additionally, if you are accustomed to using your eyes to help you balance, this position with the head rolled forward might be interesting.

This forward-bending action is more intense in the hamstrings of the front leg than uttanasana because of the asymmetry of the pose: The back leg’s position directs the flexion more specifically into the front leg hip joint, and mobility in the spine can compensate less for lack of mobility in the leg. (This is seen in an even more extreme form in hanumanasana.)

Images from the book Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff & Amy Matthews displayed on this website are used under license.