Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasa)
The Extended Side Angle Pose (also known as Utthita Parsvakonasa), is a popular yoga pose that incorporates many essential muscle groups into its practice, including the legs, ankles, chest, and shoulders.
Interestingly, its Sanskrit name - Utthita Parsvakonasa, is made up of several different words. “Uhtthita” means “extended”, and “Parsva” means “side” and “flank”. Last but not least, the word “Kona” means “angle”.
Step-by-step Guide
Begin by standing in a normal relaxed position, staring straight ahead.
Start moving into warrior position 2. Spread your legs a little wider than your hips, turn your left toes in and your right toes out.
Lift and lengthen your spine, inhale, and lift your arms until they are in line with your shoulders. Your palms should be facing the floor, and your fingers spread wide. Now, bend your right knee towards the toes, chest still facing outwards, and hold. You are now in warrior position 2.
Rest your right forearm on your right thigh, palm facing to the sky, and support your hips with your left hand.
Now, bring your left arm in towards your right hand, and from there, slowly reach it up toward the ceiling. You may begin to feel a slight stretch in your chest or back.
From here, drop the arm resting on your knee directly down so that your hand is on the floor. Keep your shoulders stacked, forming a line from the floor to the sky.
Hold for as long as you feel comfortable and then take a deep breath and exhale, lift your hand off the ground, and power through your legs back into a standing position.
Benefits of The Extended Side Angle Pose
The Extended Side Angle Pose trains a variety of different muscle groups in our bodies and provides a myriad of varying benefits both physical and emotional. A list of these benefits can be found below:
Flexing/stretching of the spine
Improvements in back pain or discomfort
Improved flexibility throughout the body
Improvements in overall body strength
Improved core strength
Increased stamina and focus
Sensations of calmness and tranquility
Precautions
As the Extended Side Angle Pose is an exercise that incorporates a lot of muscles, we must be careful not to overstrain or push our bodies too much. Below are further precautions to be aware of:
If you suffer from neck issues, make you look down instead of up when practicing this technique
Try to keep your weight evenly distributed throughout your body to avoid the risk of injury
Avoid this technique if you suffer from high or low blood pressure
Avoid this technique if you suffer from insomnia
Do not practice if you suffer from heart issues
Summary
All in all, the Extended Side Angle Pose is a fantastic technique that works multiple muscles. It is not too complicated and provides a nice challenge for those enthusiasts among us who have just started learning yoga.
