Yoga posture - Upavistha Konasana
Translation: Seated Angle
From a seated position open the legs out diagonally. Raise the navel and
chest up then lean forward trying to keep a good length in the front of the
body. Take the head to the mat. If you are flexible lengthen the spine more
and place the chest down. If you are really flexible place the navel on the
mat as well. Lengthen the spine as much as possible. Stretch the arms
out straight or hold the feet or toes.
Allowing the spine to curve slightly can provide a better stretch on the
back and neck but it suppresses the breath. It is good to perform this slight
curve in the upper spine if you are not flexible.
There are many variations of hand and arm positions. One of the bound versions
of this pose is shown opposite. In this version the big toes are grabbed and
feet are pointed forward (The legs can be rotated externally so the toes are
pointing vertically upwards). You could also point some of the fingers while
holding the big toes. You can grab the whole foot or the arms can be interlocked
behind the back. Get creative.
All of the Yoga Postures can be manipulated in many different ways.
Benefits
The hamstring are stretched (the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and the semimembranosus)
and the inner leg adductor muscles are stretched. Some of these are , the
pectineus, adductor brevis and adductor longus, the gracilis and adductor
magnus. The inner tendons in the knee often feel the greatest stretch. These
collectively are called pes anserinus (semitendinosus, gracilis, and sartorious
tendon endings). The semimembranosus muscle and tendon ending are also stretched.
At the top of the legs the stretch is most often felt on the conjoined tendon
of the semitendinosus and long head of the biceps femorus. The semimembranosus
is also stretched at its head.
Lower back muscles and gluteus muscles are stretched due to the forward
bend.
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