Parsvottanasana comes from the Sanskrit words Parsva meaning side, Ut meaning intense and tan meaning to extend, stretch or lengthen. Hence the name Intense Side Stretch Pose. This pose is also called Pyramid Pose, which emphasizes the powerful foundation and strength created in this pose.
 
Getting into the pose:

1. Starting with the right foot about 3ft in front of your left, toes pointing to the front edge of your mat. Turn your left foot about 60° and square your hips to the front (pulling your right hip back a little and pushing the left forwards)
2. Inhale bring your hands to reverse prayer position behind your back (if this is not possible hold your wrists or elbows) open the shoulders and chest, looking up to the sky. Keep your thigh muscles engaged.
3. Exhale, keeping the shoulders back, fold the body forwards from the hips, reaching the chin towards your shin. Keep working on pulling the right hip back so the hips stay parallel, and keep the spine long.
4. Stay here breathing deeply, focusing on your body alignment.
5. Inhale lift the body up, open out the shoulders looking up to the sky.
6. Exhale, twist the right foot in and the left foot out. Square the hips to the back of your mat.
7. Inhale open the chest up towards the sky stretching up through the torso
8. Exhale folding down from the hips over the left leg, this time working on keeping the left hip pulled back. Relaxing into the posture as you exhale reaching your chin towards your extended leg.
9. Inhale raise the body up

Modifications

• The full version of the pose is performed with the hands behind the back and the palms pressed together in prayer position (Anjali Mudra). If that option is not possible for you, cross your arms behind you grabbing each elbow with the opposite hand. Fold the opposite arm on top when you change leg position.
• If you have a shoulder or wrist injury — or if you would just like to lighten the backward bending aspect of the pose — release your arms forward to the floor instead of reaching behind. Place your hands on blocks (as seen in the picture) if your hands don’t easily rest on the floor.
• If you are having trouble balancing, step your feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart.

 
 
Caution:  Do not practice this pose if you have a hamstring injury. If you have a shoulder or wrist injury, do not practice the full version of the pose. Women who are pregnant and those with back injuries or high blood pressure should practice the pose against a wall. Always work within your own range of limits and abilities. As with any exercise regimen, including yoga, talk with your doctor before practicing.
 

Yoga helps promote good balance by elongating, and aligning your spine as well as the muscles in your back. It also strengthens other parts of your body, including your abdominal muscles, which helps guard you back from injury. Good yoga posture teaches every part of your body to bear its own weight as an alternative of relying on other muscles to carry the load.
 
Yoga poses function and perform differently. Each pose is designed to develop one’s flexibility and strength. Here are some common yoga poses to practice:
 
Standing Poses
Standing is one of the important yoga poses. This type of pose is helpful in aligning your body and your feet. This is also very useful in improving and maintaining a good posture. It is an advantage because if you have a bad posture, your backbones can be stretched and straightened without noticing it. Standing poses helps in giving strength to your legs and at the same time increase elasticity in your legs and hips because they are all connected to each other.
 
Seated Poses
These types of yoga poses increase your lower back and hip’s flexibility. This also strengthens your back. This adds suppleness to your knees, groin, ankle and most especially your spine. Another advantage is that it helps you to breathe in deep which gives you that calm and peaceful feeling.
 
Forward Bends
This type helps you in stretching the hamstrings and your lower back also strengthening it. This lessens the tension found in your neck, shoulder, back and increase flexibility in your spine. Calmness is also achieved in this type of pose.
 
Back Bends
Back bends like bridge pose are amazingly helpful in opening your chest, hips and even the rib cage. This is helpful in strengthening and making your arms shoulders stronger. At the same time, it simultaneously increases your flexibility and elasticity in your shoulders. The great thing is that it helps to relieve the tension from the front of your body up to your hips and it
increases your spinal ability. Your spinal cord is one thing that is important in your body so you need to take good care of it.
 
Balance
Balance poses are very challenging because they require leg strength and upper body flexibility in addition to the ability to balance on one leg. The real challenge comes as you move from pose to pose while keeping one leg lifted off the floor the entire time. Tough but worth it!
 
By practicing these basic poses on a regular basis, it will help you build strength, flexibility and stamina. Don't worry if you can't perform them correctly at first, just keep trying and as your strength increases you will be available to perform them more easily.
 
Tomorrow, I will be talking about some of the different types of yoga equipment and what it can do for you.
 

These are just some of the amazing benefits of yoga!