PURVOTTĀNĀSANA (RECLINED PLANE POSE)

PURVOTTĀNĀSANA (RECLINED PLANE POSE)

Purvottānāsana, also known as the reclined plane or upward plank pose, is backbending pose supported by the arms. It is sometimes used as a counter pose for paschimottanasana. It stretches the entire front side of the body.

Start by sitting in daṇḍāsana. Place your hands behind your back with the fingers pointing forward, shoulder distance apart. Point your toes forward as much as possible. Raise your hips into the air and try to straighten the knees. Drop your head back. Engage your thighs by lifting the knee caps up, an try to get the feet flat on the floor. Keep lifting the hips up, but draw the belly in. Stay in the pose for ten breaths or longer.

As a variation, you can lift your right leg straight up into the air. Hold it there for several breaths and then release. Repeat on the other side. Another variation, a more gentle one, would be to do the pose with the knees bent. It then looks like a table top, with the knees directly over the ankles.

The benefits of this posture include strengthening of the arms, wrists and thighs. It stretches the shoulders, chest and neck muscles.

The counter indications are wrist injuries. You can perform the table-top pose as a gentle variation