yoga positions - Utthita Pada Sirsasana
Translation: Extended Leg Headstand Pose
We enter this posture from the Headstand. Carefully open the legs one leg forward the other leg back. Allow the hips to open a little in the direction of the legs. This means they will no longer be horizontally aligned. When the hips open like this the legs have a tendency to externally rotate therefore once you have extended to the legs internally will take them. (The pose feels quite nice and energy flows pretty well with a mild angle in the legs so perhaps you may want to keep them angled.)
Allow the abdominal muscles to engage so that the lower back does not curve too much.
You can see the legs following and midline in one picture and hip with the part in the other. You can choose to do either of these postures. The hands also do not have to be interlocked behind the head. You can have the hands on the mat are with the elbows bent above them if you feel more stable or just for some variation.
It can be quite challenging to get the legs exactly the same height from the mat. The back leg has a tendency to raise and bend. Practice this posture so that you can maintain an even height in the legs.
The legs can even be completely horizontal if you're very flexible. However
it is quite nice to allow energy and force to move up. So having the legs
pointing diagonally upward can allow a better flow upwards. this results in less
compression around the neck and a better flow of teh elements.
Tips
It is nice to enter this posture before entering the headstand with the legs
straight up and together. When you get good at the headstand try entering this
variation first.
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