Stay grounded through the foot while radiating out from the center of your being. Standing Hand to BIg Toe Pose, Utthita Hasta Padangustasana is the perfect pose to find balance between striving and surrendering.
Benefits:
Strengthens legs and ankles. Stretches hamstrings and groin. Improves balance and challenges stability.
How to:
- Start standing feet under hips in a place you feel supported, mountain pose/tadasana
- Bring your left knee in towards your belly.
- Reach your left arm inside the thigh, hold the big toe with your first two fingers (peace sign fingers) If you can’t reach, hold a strap looped around the left sole.
- Right hand can rest on the hip or reach out to the side.
- Straighten the left leg forward as much as possible.
- Careful not to lock either knee.
- Open the hip by taking the lifted leg out to the left side.
- Root evenly through all four corners of the standing foot. Shoulders stacked over hips, send the left sitting bone down as you pull the left shoulder back. Open across the chest.
- Hold and breath evenly for 3-5 breaths.
- To release bring the leg back to center, bend the knee and lower the foot to the floor with an exhale. Repeat on the other side.
Modify it:
Cannot reach the foot? Try using a strap or keep the lifted leg knee bent and hold on to the knee. Having trouble balancing? Focus your gaze on something that is not moving, hold on to a wall or a chair. You may also use a wall or a chair to rest the lifted foot on.