For Beginners: Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch Pose)

Equal parts balancing posture and forward bend, this pose promotes concentration and clarity of mind.

By Claudia Cummins

Before you begin to fold forward, place your hands on your hips and balance your pelvis just as you did while practicing Parsvottanasana at the wall. Point the hip bones directly forward so the pelvis does not slip around to the left. Inhale as you joyfully extend your heart upward, and let an exhalation carry you into a swanlike forward bend initiated from the base of your pelvis. Be clear about your actions: Your legs stay straight and stable, your pelvis rotates over the thighbones, and your spine stays long, even, and steady.

Pause here and reach your hands toward the blocks. If this forces your shoulders to slouch or your spine to round, then back off by keeping your hands on your hips. As your body grows more limber, you will be able to crease more fully at the hip joints and settle more completely into the pose.

If you are able to reach the blocks without rounding your spine, press your hands firmly atop each block, with your fingers facing forward. Let this rooting action straighten your arms and buoy your heart. Reach back through your tailbone, pressing more enthusiastically through your right side than your left to keep your hips balanced. Invite your front spine to elongate gracefully from the pelvis toward the space beyond the crown of your head.

Find Balanced Alignment
Here's a good test of whether or not you're seeing clearly in this pose: If you've stayed long and anchored in the legs as well as even and balanced in the hips, then both sides of your back will be long and even when you settle into Parsvottanasana. A friend should be able to place a glass of champagne anywhere on your back body without fear of it spilling.

Once you've established this balanced alignment, breathe steadily and be firm in the core of your body. Imagine that your spine is floating on the surface of the sea, buoyant, bubbly, and light. Invite your brain to grow cool and spacious, and settle in for a few long and satisfying breaths.

As you linger in the deep forward fold of Parsvottanasana, challenge yourself to attend fully to the sensations of the moment and to be honest about what is and isn't happening in your body, mind, and breath. Enjoy the opportunity to soak up every bit of clarity, steadiness, and ease.

After several breaths, place your hands on your hips and let an inhalation bring you back to standing. Step your legs together into Tadasana and notice how Parsvottanasana has transformed you. Which leg feels longer? Which hip feels fuller? Which side of your spine feels more expansive? Has your breath changed as a result of this exploration? When you are ready, repeat Parsvottanasana on the second side, with your left leg forward and your right leg back.

As you gain confidence and clarity in this posture, you may want to explore an even more challenging expression of it, with your hands behind you, each grasping the opposite elbow, and your heart dipping more deeply toward your shin. This is a complicated and demanding action, but with patience and practice, you will find yourself moving deeply into this graceful pose—strengthening your sturdy legs, extending your buoyant spine, and cultivating a steady sense of balance, stamina, and clarity that originates from deep within.

Claudia Cummins teaches yoga in Mansfield, Ohio. A selection of her essays can be found at www.claudiacummins.com.

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