August 7
by Donna Farhi
Extended Foot Pose (Prasarita Padottanasana)
One of the most profound ways to bring the spiritual into the physical practice of asana is to feel and trust the breath that moves through us.
Benefits
Contraindications
Dear Reader
Yoga is often defined as the unification of body, mind, and spirit. Originally the Latin word spiritus meant breath, indicating the crucial link between the movement of the breath and the life of the spirit. Similarly, the Greek words pneuma and psyche both meant breath as well as soul.
For those of us who practice Hatha Yoga, one of the most profound ways that we can bring the spiritual into the physical practice of asana is to focus on, feel, and trust the breath that moves through us. And yet we often find ourselves restricting or holding our breath in order to perform a Yoga posture. Imagine an ocean without waves—that’s inconceivable! Then, it should be just as inconceivable to imagine asanas without the internal tide of the breath.
In the last 20 years, transformational technologies such as psychotherapy and bodywork have begun to reflect our growing awareness that mind, body, and breath are one. However, Hatha Yoga has lagged behind in its integration of these elements. Yoga traditions that give only lip service to breath awareness during asana (or so-called ‘physical’ practice) and teach pranayama (breath and energy practices) and meditation later as separate modalities presume and foster a hierarchical division between mind, body, and breath. These traditions function within the old paradigm of dominating nature—‘mind over matter’—rather than the emerging new paradigm (supported by quantum physics) that holds that mind literally imbues matter.
Body movement should clearly reflect the different phases of the breath cycle the inhalation, the exhalation, and the moments in between.
Other traditions explicitly designate breath patterns (for example, inhale as you raise your arms to a count of four) that don’t respect the natural intelligence of the breath. We say that we are concerned with integrating body, mind, and spirit, but in practice we actually continue to separate them.
Three simple strategies can help us bring about a true integration of the body, mind, and breath: slow down; practice simple movements before progressing to complex ones, and make freedom of the breath the first priority.
Slowing down allows us to focus our attention on the subtle movements of the breath rather than the gross movements of the musculoskeletal system. Once our attention is engaged, we can observe the breath as it is—not interfering with or manipulating it, but respectfully sensing the natural movements that occur during the cyclic rhythm of respiration. Having made these observations, we can progress to conscious integration, so that movement is supported and nourished by the breath.
The second step in this reunification is to deliberately work with simple movements and positions in which we are less likely to fall back on old coping strategies (like holding the breath) in order to ‘get there’. As we master the skill of riding the breath, we can gradually practice more and more complex movements without compromising free breathing.
The third step is to make the free movement of the breath the first priority in body alignment, rather than something added like optional vanilla extract at the end of a recipe (“When I get it all perfect, then I’ll worry about breathing.”). Breath is the prime ingredient of all movement. When you adjust the core structure of the diaphragm so that free breathing is possible, all other musculoskeletal alignment falls into place with an underlying coherent logic. The natural position of the diaphragm is a dome-shaped sheet of muscle and tendon that forms the floor of the thoracic cage. If you contort or compress the diaphragm to achieve the external form of a posture, free breathing will be restricted.
The simplicity of this month’s asana, Prasarita Padottanasana (Extended Foot Pose), allows us to focus on the breath more easily. One of the basic tenets of body-breath integration is the principle of oscillation—allowing the body to move with the rise and fall of the breath. Let the joints, muscles, and internal organs as well as the overall position of the body move as the breath swells and expands. Then equally honor the receding, settling motions that come on the exhalation. These natural motions are tremendously therapeutic. When you practice in this way, you move from a static, fixed position into a dynamic and fluid state with open-ended possibilities. (Unfortunately, these fluid movements can’t be captured by the still photographs in this article, so please use your imagination!)
Preliminary Practice
The purpose of this exercise is to observe some of the spontaneous movements of the breath in the pelvic floor and along the spinal
Preliminary Practice
The purpose of this exercise is to observe some of the spontaneous movements of the breath in the pelvic floor and along the spinal column. Sit on the edge of a chair with the legs slightly wider than the hips. Place the feet so the legs and the pelvis form a tripod. Check that the knees are neither turning in nor turning out and that your feet are slightly in front of the knees for a secure base of support. Beginning from an erect sitting position, slowly curl down from the top of the head, allowing the wave of your breath to oscillate the spine. Move slowly— it should take you about 20 breaths to fold all the way into a forward bend. Sometimes the pulse of your breath will lift you slightly out of the stretch; sometimes it will release you forward.
Preliminary Practice
The purpose of this exercise is to observe some of the spontaneous movements of the breath in the pelvic floor and along the spinal with the legs slightly wider than the
column. Sit on the edge of a chair with the legs slightly wider than the hips. Place the feet so the legs and the pelvis form a tripod. Check that the knees are neither turning in nor turning out and that your feet are slightly in front of the knees for a secure base of support. Beginning from an erect sitting position, slowly curl down from the top of the head, allowing the wave of your breath to oscillate the spine. Move slowly— it should take you about 20 breaths to fold all the way into a forward bend. Sometimes the pulse of your breath will lift you slightly out of the stretch; sometimes it will release you forward. Usually the upward oscillation will happen on the inhalation and the downward oscillation on the exhalation. However, this is not a hard and fast rule, as the way the breath shapes the body is intimately connected to your position in relation to gravity.
Continue to roll forward until your head is hanging with the arms draped over the outsides of the legs (Fig. 1). Now focus on the movement of the breath in the belly and through the pelvic floor (the area from the anus through the perineum to the genitals).
Usually, the upward oscillation will happen on the inhalation and the downward oscillation on the exhalation. However, this is not a hard and fast rule, as the way the breath shapes the body is intimately connected to your position in relation to gravity.
Continue to roll forward until your head is hanging with the arms draped over the outsides of the legs (Fig. 1). Now focus on the movement of the breath in the belly and through the pelvic floor (the area from the anus through the perineum to the genitals).
hips. Place the feet so the legs and the pelvis form a tripod. Check that the knees are neither turning in nor turning out and that your feet are slightly in front of the knees for a secure base of support. Beginning from an erect sitting position, slowly curl down from the top of the head, allowing the wave of your breath to oscillate the spine. Move slowly— it should take you about 20 breaths to fold all the way into a forward bend. Sometimes the pulse of your breath will lift you slightly out of the stretch; sometimes it will release you forward. Usually the upward oscillation will happen on the inhalation and the downward oscillation on the exhalation. However, this is not a hard and fast rule, as the way the breath shapes the body is intimately connected to your position in relation to gravity.
Continue to roll forward until your head is hanging with the arms draped over the outsides of the legs (Fig. 1). Now focus on the movement of the breath in the belly and through the pelvic floor (the area from the anus through the perineum to the genitals).column. Sit on the edge of a chair
Observe how the tailbone lifts on the inhalation. Also note how the anus and perineum open and broaden. As the tailbone lifts, the pelvis rocks forward, causing a slight arching of the lumbar spine. With the exhalation, the tailbone retracts, the anus closes, and the abdomen and the pelvic floor become more toned. Extend your awareness along your spinal column and feel how these wavelike movements beginning in the floor of the pelvis travel along the spine. You may notice areas of the pelvis and spinal column that hold stiff against the rising and falling current. Consciously deepen your exhalation in these places so the muscles relax and release the vertebrae downward.
One of the reasons this position facilitates the movement of the breath in the pelvis and back is that bending the knees deactivates the hamstring muscles that attach to the sitting bones and run along the backs of the legs. The relaxed hamstrings no longer limit the ability of the pelvis to move freely around the heads of the femur bones. To begin to stretch the hamstrings, walk your feet out a few inches. Notice how the stretch in the back of the legs intensifies. Continue to walk the feet away from the chair, stopping after each increment to release the spine forward. Only go as far as you can without restricting your breath. (Imagine how your practice would change if you never put yourself in a position that you couldn’t breath in!) After a minute, walk the feet back under the knees and slowly roll up. Sit for a moment with the spine erect and see if you can still feel the movement of the breath in the pelvic floor and along the spinal column.
Observe how the tailbone lifts on the inhalation. Also note how the anus and perineum open and broaden. As the tailbone lifts, the pelvis rocks forward, causing a slight arching of the lumbar spine. With the exhalation, the tailbone retracts, the anus closes, and the abdomen and the pelvic floor become more toned. Extend your awareness along your spinal column and feel how these wavelike movements beginning in the floor of the pelvis travel along the spine. You may notice areas of the pelvis and spinal column that hold stiff against the rising and falling current. Consciously deepen your exhalation in these places so the muscles relax and release the vertebrae downward.
One of the reasons this position facilitates the movement of the breath in the pelvis and back is that bending the knees deactivates the hamstring muscles that attach to the sitting bones and run along the backs of the legs. The relaxed hamstrings no longer limit the ability of the pelvis to move freely around the heads of the femur bones. To begin to stretch the hamstrings, walk your feet out a few inches. Notice how the stretch in the back of the legs intensifies. Continue to walk the feet away from the chair, stopping after each increment to release the spine forward. Only go as far as you can without restricting your breath. (Imagine how your practice would change if you never put yourself in a position that you couldn’t breath in!) After a minute, walk the feet back under the knees and slowly roll up. Sit for a moment with the spine erect and see if you can still feel the movement of the breath in the pelvic floor and along the spinal column.
Beginner’s Practice
Stand with your feet four to five feet apart and the toes turned inwards so that the knees point in the same direction as the ankles. Spread the toes from the base of the big toe to the little toe and adjust your weight so you’re standing over the center of the feet. Elongate the back so the front of the belly is open and the breathing is free. Place your hands on your hips and slowly begin to tip forward, maintaining the length through the front of the torso as you come down. Keeping your weight over your feet, extend the arms in front of you, resting the fingertips on the floor (Fig. 2).
Before concentrating on the spine, take a moment to establish a firm base through the legs. When your foundation is secure, the spinal muscles can relax more completely. Look back at your kneecaps and check whether they are ‘frowning’ (collapsing inward). When the kneecaps are collapsed, you can move the patella from side-to-side with your fingers. With the kneecaps dropped, an internal torque through the joint may damage the knee over time. Firmly engage the quadriceps muscles along the fronts of
Beginner’s Practice
Stand with your feet four to five feet apart and the toes turned inwards so that the knees point in the same direction as the ankles. Spread the toes from the base of the big toe to the little toe and adjust your weight so you’re standing over the center of the feet. Elongate the back so the front of the belly is open and the breathing is free. Place your hands on your hips and slowly begin to tip forward, maintaining the length through the front of the torso as you come down. Keeping your weight over your feet, extend the arms in front of you, resting the fingertips on the floor (Fig. 2).
Beginner’s Practice
Stand with your feet four to five feet apart and the toes turned inwards so that the knees point in the same direction as the ankles. Spread the toes from the base of the big toe to the little toe and adjust your weight so you’re standing over the center of the feet. Elongate the back so the front of the belly is open and the breathing is free. Place your hands on your hips and slowly begin to tip forward, maintaining the length through the front of the torso as you come down. Keeping your weight over your feet, extend your arms in front of you, resting the fingertips on the floor (Fig. 2).
Before concentrating on the spine, take a moment to establish a firm base through the legs. When your foundation is secure, the spinal muscles can relax more completely. Look back at your kneecaps and check whether they are ‘frowning’ (collapsing inward). When the kneecaps are collapsed, you can move the patella from side-to-side with your fingers. With the kneecaps dropped, an internal torque through the joint may damage the knee over time. Firmly engage the quadriceps muscles along the fronts of the thigh so
the thigh so that the kneecaps lift and begin to ‘smile’. When the patella is lifted, you will no longer be able to move it with your fingers. Be careful that you do not lock the knees by leaning your weight into your heels and jamming the knees backward. Use the minimum effort necessary to stabilize the joints so you retain a sense of fluidity throughout the legs.
Before concentrating on the spine, take a moment to establish a firm base through the legs. When your foundation is secure, the spinal muscles can relax more completely. Look back at your kneecaps and check whether they are ‘frowning’ (collapsing inward). When the kneecaps are collapsed, you can move the patella from side-to-side with your fingers. With the kneecaps dropped, an internal torque through the joint may damage the knee over time. Firmly engage the quadriceps muscles along the fronts of the thigh so that the kneecaps lift and begin to ‘smile’. When the patella is lifted, you will no longer be able to move it with your fingers. Be careful that you do not lock the knees by leaning your weight into your heels and jamming the knees backward. Use the minimum effort necessary to stabilize the joints so you retain a sense of fluidity throughout the legs.
that the kneecaps lift and begin to ‘smile’. When the patella is lifted, you will no longer be able to move it with your fingers. Be careful that you do not lock the knees by leaning your weight into your heels and jamming the knees backward. Use the minimum effort necessary to stabilize the joints so you retain a sense of fluidity throughout the legs.
Now bring your awareness back to your spine. As you breathe in, allow the rising movement of the inhalation to lift the spine. The whole shoulder girdle and the arms will also lift slightly in response to the swell of the incoming breath. As you exhale, allow the spine to release into the body and forward toward the crown of the head. While these spinal movements are spontaneous, you can also consciously direct the breath to achieve an even greater sense of release and length in the back. To do this, clearly visualize the direction in which you wish to release. From a midpoint at the back of the waist, visualize elongating the spine equally in opposite directions towards both the head and tail.
Now bring your awareness back to your spine. As you breathe in, allow the rising movement of the inhalation to lift the spine. The whole shoulder girdle and the arms will also lift slightly in response to the swell of the incoming breath. As you exhale, allow the spine to release into the body and forward toward the crown of the head. While these spinal movements are spontaneous, you can also consciously direct the breath to achieve an even greater sense of release and length in the back. To do this, clearly visualize the direction in which you wish to release. From a midpoint at the back of the waist, visualize elongating the spine equally in opposite directions towards both the head and tail.
With a clear intention, you can direct the breath like a glassblower, blowing the form of the body from the inside out. Then you can open as a result of a greater inner spaciousness in the inner body that expands outward to the surface of the skin. This process is not a manipulation of the breath and body, but a dialogue with them, in which you remain sensitive to the feedback you’re getting.
Now bring your awareness back to your spine. As you breathe in, allow the rising movement of the inhalation to lift the spine. The whole shoulder girdle and the arms will also lift slightly in response to the swell of the incoming breath. As you exhale, allow the spine to release into the body and forward toward the crown of the head. While these spinal movements are spontaneous, you can also consciously direct the breath to achieve an even greater sense of release and length in the back. To do this, clearly visualize the direction in which you wish to release. From a midpoint at the back of the waist, visualize elongating the spine equally in opposite directions towards both the head and tail.
With a clear intention, you can direct the breath like a glassblower, blowing the form of the body from the inside out. Then you can open as a result of a greater inner spaciousness in the inner body that expands outward to the surface of the skin. This process is not a manipulation of the breath and body, but a dialogue with them, in which you remain sensitive to the feedback you’re getting.
If you are unable to feel the movements of your breath, you may find it helpful to exhale through your mouth, spontaneously letting out sighing sounds. Breathing through the mouth allows for a larger, less controlled movement of the diaphragm. If your breath perception is still very limited, you may need to adjust the position of your body. The most common cause for diaphragmatic restriction in forward bends is the attempt to bend forward by rounding the back and tightening the abdomen back toward the thighs (Fig. 3 Incorrect). Because the hamstrings are tight, the pelvis is unable to rotate around the heads of the thighbones and stays frozen as the spine curls forward. In this position the breathing will be very limited, and you won’t be able to feel any release of the spine on the
If you are unable to feel the movements of your breath, you may find it helpful to exhale through your mouth, spontaneously letting out sighing sounds. Breathing through the mouth allows for a larger, less controlled movement of the diaphragm. If your breath perception is still very limited, you may need to adjust the position of your body. The most common cause for diaphragmatic restriction in forward bends is the attempt to bend forward by rounding the back and tightening the abdomen back toward the thighs (Fig. 3 Incorrect). Because the hamstrings are tight, the pelvis is unable to
rotate around the heads of the thighbones and stays frozen as the spine curls forward. In this position the breathing will be very limited, and you won’t be able to feel any release of the spine on the exhalation.
With a clear intention, you can direct the breath like a glassblower, blowing the form of the body from the inside out. Then you can open as a result of a greater inner spaciousness in the inner body that expands outward to the surface of the skin. This process is not a manipulation of the breath and body, but a dialogue with them, in which you remain sensitive to the feedback you’re getting.
If you are unable to feel the movements of your breath, you may find it helpful to exhale through your mouth, spontaneously letting out sighing sounds. Breathing through the mouth allows for a larger, less controlled movement of the diaphragm. If your breath perception is still very limited, you may need to adjust the position of your body. The most common cause for diaphragmatic restriction in forward bends is the attempt to bend forward by rounding the back and tightening the abdomen back toward the thighs (Fig. 3 Incorrect). Because the hamstrings are tight, the pelvis is unable to rotate around the heads of the thighbones and stays frozen as the spine curls forward. In this position the breathing will be very limited, and you won’t be able to feel any release of the spine on the exhalation.
exhalation.
Adjust your position by raising your hands onto blocks or the seat of a chair. Make sure your hands are directly underneath the shoulders so the front of the abdomen is open and the breastbone is elongating forward away from the belly (Fig. 4). It’s more important to place yourself so the breath can move freely than it is to get your hands onto the floor. It’s rather like surfing: you have to be in the right place at the right time to catch the wave. By positioning the body so the breathing is free, you can catch the wave of the breath and allow your respiration to carry and support you.
Continuing Practice
If you are able to come further into Prasarita Padottanasana without compromising full, free breathing, place your fingertips in line with your toes to make room for a deeper forward bend. Slowly bend the elbows until the arms form a right angle with the tips of the elbows
Adjust your position by raising the hands onto blocks or the seat of a chair. Make sure your hands are directly underneath the shoulders so the front of the abdomen is open and the breastbone is elongating forward away from the belly (Fig. 4). It’s more important to place yourself so the breath can move freely than it is to get your hands onto the floor. It’s rather like surfing: you have to be in the right place at the right time to catch the wave. By positioning the body so the breathing is free, you can catch the wave of the breath and allow your respiration to carry and support you.
Adjust your position by raising your hands onto blocks or the seat of a chair. Make sure your hands are directly underneath the shoulders so the front of the abdomen is open and the breastbone is elongating forward away from the belly (Fig. 4). It’s
more important to place yourself so the breath can move freely than it is to get your hands onto the floor. It’s rather like surfing: you have to be in the right place at the right time to catch the wave. By positioning the body so the breathing is free, you can catch the wave of the breath and allow your respiration to carry and support you.
Continuing Practice
If you are able to come further into Prasarita Padottanasana without compromising full, free breathing, place your fingertips in line with your toes to make room for a deeper forward bend. Slowly bend the elbows until the arms form a right angle with the tips of the
extending away from the shoulders (Fig. 5). To ensure that your neck and head can extend freely, roll the shoulders away from the ears and toward the elbows. Check that your weight is evenly distributed between the inner and the outer wrist.
Continuing Practice
If you are able to come further into Prasarita Padottanasana without compromising full, free breathing, place your fingertips in line with your toes to make room for a deeper forward bend. Slowly bend the elbows until the arms form a right angle with the tips of the elbows extending away from the shoulders (Fig. 5). To ensure that your neck and head can extend freely, roll the shoulders away from the ears and toward the elbows. Check that your weight is evenly distributed between the inner and the outer wrist.
elbows extending away from the shoulders (Fig. 5). To ensure that your neck and head can extend freely, roll the shoulders away from the ears and toward the elbows. Check that your weight is evenly distributed between the inner and the outer wrist.
Stay in Prasarita Padottanasana for a minute or so, letting the breath release along the length of the spine. You may find that the body spontaneously begins to move deeper into the position. If your torso has released even further so the head is touching the floor, try a final variation in which you hold onto your ankles. Bring the head approximately in line with the feet and broaden the shoulders out to the sides so the arms are fully extended. Keep your weight balanced over the center of your feet so you don’t strain the backs of the knees and the area around the sitting bones. Remain in the pose for 30 seconds to a minute longer. To come up, walk the feet closer together and bring the hands onto the hips as you pivot up to a standing position.
As you stand, observe the state of your body and mind. When our practice is directed by the breath rather than the ambition of the ego, the mind becomes quiescent. Practicing Hatha Yoga in this way, we make our own unfolding more important than the attainment of a Yoga posture. Hatha Yoga can then become a vehicle for experiencing how life expresses itself through us. In honoring the fluid nature of our being, we can make choices based on our own authentic inner experience. We can contact a deep knowing that is carried by the breath, the messenger of the soul.
This article is from a series of in-depth discussions on selected asana and will be followed in the next post by an addendum: New Insights. There Donna shares what has changed, since the original article was published, after more than three decades of teaching. An occasional bonus article will be included. None of this material has been offered publicly for free before.
This article originally appeared in Yoga Journal magazine, March/April1993. Photographs by Fred Stimpson. © 2023 by Donna Farhi.
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Note: The new insights of Prasarita Padottanasana have been incorporated into the next feature, Adho Mukha Svanasana.
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