Uttanasana

English: Intense Forward Fold

Level: Beginner

Position: Standing

Type: Forward Bend, Stretch, Inversion

Muscles:

  • Lower Back
  • Upper Back
  • Hamstrings
  • Hips
  • Neck

Chakras:

  • Solar Plexus (Manipura Chakra)
  • Sacral Chakra (Swadisthana Chakra)
  • Root Chakra (Muladhara Chakra)

To Get into This Pose:

  1. From Tadasana, Inhale the arms up overhead
  2. Exhale, open the arms out to a "T," extending the spine folding forward at the hips,

It's always a good idea to keep the feeling of "cow pose" in your back when doing forward folds to aid in the spinal extension, keeping the back as flat as possible.