How to carry out purvottanasana, the upward or reverse plank pose

Purvottanasana

How to carry out Purvottanasana the upward or reverse plank pose.

Let’s start today from the wonderful Purvottanasana position, or also called upward or reverse plank pose.

In Sanskrit, purva means “east”, referring not so much to the cardinal point as to the anterior part of the body and uttana means “intense stretching”. So if we want to do the literal translation it is translated as the “position of the intense stretching of the front of the body”.

HOW TO CARRY OUT PURVOTTANASANA

Sit on the ground with your legs stretched out in front of you. Place your hands next to your buttocks with your palms touching the ground.
Try to move your hands backwards, always with the palms on the ground and the fingertips pointing forward, in some cases you can also point your fingers backwards.
Now bend your knees and place the soles of your feet on the ground
Exhale and, pressing on the ground with the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, lift the pelvis off the ground, trying to keep the chest and thighs parallel to the ground and arms and calves perpendicular to the ground, as if your body were forming the figure of a table with four legs.
Slowly and without lowering your pelvis, stretch your legs one at a time.
Lift your pelvis up a little more, without squeezing your buttocks too tight
Bring your shoulder blades together to support your raised chest.
Without squeezing the back of the neck, slowly lower your head backwards.
Hold the position for at least 5 breaths and if you can without difficulty
To exit the asana and return to the starting position, exhale and raise your head as you lower your buttocks to the ground. Then rest your legs on the ground in front of you and drop your arms to the side of your hips.
You can also enter with your legs extended, lifting the pelvis and torso directly, but this variant involves greater effort and is not suitable for beginners, for those with back and neck or wrist problems.

BENEFITS OF PURVOTTANASANA

The purvottanasana pose has a number of benefits, but remember that it is not suitable for those with wrist problems, shoulder problems such as injuries or accidents, or if you have recently had cervical trauma.

The benefits of purvottanasana are:

Strengthens the shoulder, chest and ankle joints.
Improves posture by training the muscles of the shoulders, chest and upper abdominals.
Stretches all the muscles in the front part of the body.
It strengthens the muscles of the back, arms, wrists and legs
It stimulates the nervous system.
It widens the ribcage and stretches the lungs.

Knowing the positions, understanding their alignments, benefits, precautions is necessary for a safe and healthy practice, and if you want to become a yoga teacher, always choose who is able to explain everything to you in a correct manner.

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