Home Blogs Open Angel Pose Yoga (Upavistha Konasana) and Its Benefits

Open Angel Pose Yoga (Upavistha Konasana) and Its Benefits

How to do the open angle yoga pose?

The Open Angle Yoga Pose is also called Upavistha Konasana or Seated Wide Leg Forward Bend and is performed as follows:

1. To start the pose, sit on your Yoga mat in Dandasana (Staff Pose).
2. Now lean back on your hands a little, then raise and spread your legs to a 90 degrees angle. (At the apex, your legs should be approximately at right angles to your pubis).
3. Next, press both palms in front of you, into your Yoga mat and slide your buttocks forward. This way you will widen your legs another 10 to 20 degrees apart. Just as in Dandasana (Staff Pose), if you are unable to sit comfortably on your mat, you may take the help of a high folded Yoga blanket.
4. Turn your thighs out, pinning your outer thighs against your mat, so that your knee caps are pointing straight up at the ceiling. Press though the balls of your feet and stretch your soles forward.
5. Press your thigh bones heavily into your mat and walk your hands forward between your legs, knee caps pointing up at the ceiling. Maintaining the length of your front torso, keep your arms long and as in all forward bends, move from your hip joints. Stop moving forward, the moment you find yourself bending from the waist. Continue forward only after you have re-established the length from your pubis to your navel.
6. Press your buttocks into the mat, aiming to take your chest, abdomen and chin down onto the mat between your legs. With every exhalation, increase your forward bend till you feel a comfortable stretch in your calves and hamstrings.
7. Hold the pose for 30 – 60 seconds, as long as you are comfortable then straighten up your front torso, with a deep inhalation. Stretch your arms up as much as you can then bring them down from the sides with an exhalation.

Benefits

• Stretches and strengthens the backs and insides of the legs and spine.
• Stimulates abdominal functioning.
• Releases the hip joint and muscles of the groins.
• Improves pelvic circulation.
• Highly beneficial in a variety of menstrual and gynecological problems.
• Helps relieve sciatic pain.
• Helps calm the mind.

Contraindications

• Aids
• Hernia
• In case of lower-back injuries, better raise your buttocks on a folded blanket and keep your body upright.

Precautionary measures:

• Never move in jerky motions into or out of the pose.
• If you are suffering from any back problems, take extra care while doing this pose.
• Be equally careful if you are nursing tight hamstring muscles.

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