We're finally up to the last wide-legged forward bend pose in Ashtanga Yoga, Wide-Legged Forward Bend D. If you do all four in a row, A, B, C, and D, your hamstrings, hips, and lower back will feel amazingly stretched and open. It's a great series of stretches to do after a run if your lower body gets really tight.
If you love to stretch your hamstrings, then I'm sure you've been loving Wide-Legged Forward Bend A and B. There are technically two more poses in this series in Ashtanga Yoga, and this one called Wide-Legged Forward Bend C is my favorite.
Sanskrit Name: Prasarita Padottanasana C
English Translation: Feet Spread Intense Stretch Pose C
Also Called: Wide-Legged Forward Bend C
If you want to know how to do this pose and see some easier variations then read more
If you love stretching your hamstrings and lower back in Wide-Legged Forward Bend A, then you're going to love this pose. You can do A for five breaths, come to stand up, and then go right into five breaths of this pose. It's great to do as a warm-up before a run or bike ride.
If you're a runner, your hamstrings and lower back must get really tight. Wide-Legged Forward Bends are one of the greatest stretches to do because you can let gravity pull your torso down and you get an amazingly deep stretch. There are actually four versions of this pose in Ashtanga Yoga, and here's the first one.
Looking for a great stretch for your quads? Kneeling Shin Stretch pose is great, but if that's too easy for you, give Sleeping Hero a try.
Sanskrit Name: Supta Virasana
English Translation: Sleeping Hero Pose
Also Called: Reclining Hero
This pose can feel really intense on your knees, so if you feel any pain at any point in this pose, come to sit back up.
Downward Facing Dog pose is a total body pose that's great for stretching out your shoulders, lower back, hamstrings, and calves. It can be really difficult at first, but since it's a pose that's done the most often during a class, you can build your upper body strength fast, so it becomes more of a relaxing pose. To make it more challenging, try this fun variation called Three-Legged Dog.
When most people think of yoga, they imagine someone in Lotus pose or this pose called Tree. This pose is all about challenging your sense of balance, but it also promotes good posture and opens your hips.
Sanskrit Name: Vrksasana
English Translation: Tree Pose
Want to know my trick for staying in this pose?
This pose called One-Legged Arm Balance stretches your front hamstring and strengthens your upper body like you wouldn't believe. I know it looks really hard, but if you practice the prep for this pose, you'll get used to placing your elbows into your belly so you can balance on your hands.
Sanskrit Name: Eka Pada Koundinyasana
English Translation: One-Legged Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya
Also Called: One-Legged Arm Balance
Once you can do the prep, then you can work on the steps to get into One-Legged Arm Balance.
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