Extended Side Angle Pose - Utthita Parsvakonasana

extended-side-angle-pose - YanvaYoga

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Extended Side Angle Pose — Utthita Parsvakonasana (oo-TEE-tah PARZH-vuh-ko-NAHS-uh-nuh) — is a standing yoga pose that utilizes all of the muscles in the body. Its name comes from four Sanskrit words: “Utthita” — meaning “extended”, “Parsva” — meaning “side” or “flank”, “Kona” — meaning “angle”, and “Asana” — meaning “pose”.

The steep angles of Extended Side Angle Pose help to stretch muscles in the outer edge of your feet. It also helps to distribute weight along your feet, allowing you to massage your feet through the use of pressure and weight. The goal is to use your arms to counterbalance your lower body so that you can stretch diagonally across the body. This counter-balancing applies unique types of pressure to your lower legs.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1
To begin, stand tall in Mountain Pose.
Step 2
Take a long step with your right foot in its direction.
Step 3
Slowly turn your right foot out at an angle of 90-degrees. Turn your left foot out in the same direction at an angle of 45-degrees.
Step 4
Exhale and bend your right knee at an angle of 90-degrees so that it is parallel to the ground. Bend your trunk downwards.
Step 5
Hold the pose for a couple of seconds and breathe deeply here.
Step 6
Exhale deeply and bend your body over your right leg as you stretch sideways.
Step 7
Lower your right hand and place it on the inside or outside of the right foot.
Step 8
Raise your left hand over the head and parallel to the ear.
Step 9
You should feel an intense stretch right from the hand to the heel.
Step 10
Tilt your neck slowly upwards towards the ceiling.
Step 11
Hold this final pose for 20-30 seconds.
Step 12
To release the pose, press down your feet, lower your left arm, bring back your thigh, and straighten your torso.
Step 13
Repeat the extended side angle pose on the other side.

Benefits and Contraindications

Benefits

Opens the chest and shoulders

Improves stamina

Massages the abdominal organs

Stretches the inner thighs, groins, and side body

Strengthens the quadriceps and hamstrings, as well as the hips, knees, and ankles

Contraindications

Irregular blood pressure (high or low)

Headache

Insomnia

Neck injury (avoid gazing upward)

Shoulder injury

Photo poses in different angles

Modifications and Props for Beginners

  • Using the wall for back support and extended arm support, with few rounds of practice, will help in gaining confidence and also getting the alignment right. This eventually will improve and later can be done without wall support.
  • Using of blocks, by placing them close to the foot which bends at the knee, helps to place the palm on the block while still stretching the chest and the shoulders. And slowly with practice the flexibility of the legs improve and one can perform this pose without the support of the blocks.
  • If the knee feels tight, one could place a strong stool or chair in front of the bend knee for extra support. But make sure the stool does not move while in the pose. One could also place the foot close to the wall while facing the knee towards the wall for support.

Useful Tips

To gain the benefits of Parsvakonasana, it’s important to practice it with correct alignment. Keep the following information in mind when practicing this pose:

  • Work on getting the foot and leg placement first. Build the pose from the ground up.
  • Do not allow your torso to drop forward in the pose. This often happens if you’re straining too hard to reach your front fingertips to the floor. Instead of trying to touch the floor, work to keep your hips, chest, shoulders, legs, and head along the same line. Imagine that you’re practicing the pose between two waterfalls. If you drop your torso forward or lean too far back, you will get wet. Work to keep your body “dry.”
  • Keep the outer edge of your back foot pressing firmly into the mat. Try to ensure your back baby toe is on the mat.
  • Keep your front knee aligned with your front heel. Do not allow the knee to drift inward — this can strain the knee joint. Instead, imagine it slightly moving out toward the baby toe.

Extended Side Angle Pose anatomy

Utthita Parsvakonasana targets the legs, hips, and core while also stretching the chest and shoulders.

  • Legs: Extended Side Angle Pose primarily strengthens and stretches the muscles of the legs, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and adductors (inner thigh muscles). As the front knee bends and the back leg extends, these muscles are activated and engaged to support the posture.
  • Hips: The hip joint is also actively engaged in Extended Side Angle Pose, as the front hip is flexed and the back hip is extended. This helps to stretch the hip flexors and quadriceps of the back leg, while also strengthening the glutes and outer hip muscles of the front leg.
  • Core: The core muscles, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis, are also engaged in Extended Side Angle Pose to support the stability and balance of the posture. This helps to strengthen and tone the muscles of the core, while also improving overall body awareness and control.
  • Chest and Shoulders: As the front arm extends towards the ceiling, the chest and shoulder muscles are stretched and opened. This includes the pectoralis major and minor, as well as the anterior deltoid and serratus anterior muscles.
  • Spine: Finally, Extended Side Angle Pose also helps to stretch and strengthen the muscles of the spine, including the erector spinae and multifidus muscles. This can help to improve spinal mobility and posture, while also reducing tension and stiffness in the back.

Frequently Asked Questions

Variations

  • Extended Side Angle Pose With A Block
  • Extended Side Angle Pose In A Chair
  • Bound Extended Side Angle

Top Preparatory Pose


Iana Varshavska
Iana Varshavska
Website administrator

A digital marketer in love with yoga and everything that goes along with it. In 2021, her huge passion for yoga led her to yoga teacher trainings. After successfully completing her studies, Iana received her Yoga Alliance U.S. certification, left the corporate IT world and devoted herself to the development of Yanva. To be able to create the best online yoga space for yoga enthusiasts like her, Iana is constantly learning and improving her skills in various aspects of yoga philosophy, anatomy and biomechanics. Since 2021, she has continued to attend various types of teacher training, including yoga therapy, gives online and offline classes, and conducts local workshops for people who want to learn more about yoga. At the moment, Iana continues to work on her personal practice, improving her hand balancing skills, as well as developing her own training programs.