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Yoga For You
Ray Madigan and Shelley Choy
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COURTESY MANOA YOGA CENTER
For Ardha Uttansana, keep your hands stretched against a wall, press your legs back and stretch your spine. Avoid arching or hunching your back.
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Ardha Uttansana
(Half Intense Stretch Pose) » This pose is great for stretching stiff back muscles and brings flexibility to the shoulders, arms and back of the legs.
1. Facing a wall, place the hands on the wall at hip level. Spread fingers and palms evenly against the wall.
2. Press palms into the wall, and, keeping them in place, step back until arms are straight and legs are vertical, with the back of the heels in line with the buttock bones.
3. Keep feet hip-width apart and knees pointed toward the wall. Balance weight evenly on both feet without turning them outward.
4. Straighten legs by tightening thigh muscles. Kneecaps will lift and hamstring muscles will stretch.
5. Keeping hands stretched against the wall, press legs back and stretch the spine. Do not arch or hunch back. Focus on an even, long spinal extension.
6. Hold the pose for 30 to 60 seconds while breathing through the nose. Concentrate on length through the spine and limbs.
Ray Madigan and
Shelley Choy are certified Iyengar Yoga teachers and co-direct the Manoa Yoga Center at Manoa Marketplace. Visit
www.manoayoga.com or call 382-3910. Manoa Yoga Center, the authors and the Star-Bulletin take no responsibility for any injury arising from the practice of these yoga postures. Readers should seek a doctor's approval before commencing this yoga practice.
