Uttana Padasana – Extended Leg Pose 

What is Uttana Padasana?

If you are suffering from a bulging stomach, due to excess weight, then Uttana Padasana is just perfect for you. It is basically a combination of Matsyasana and Sirshasana. You can do this posture easily, without too many hassles. More often, this pose or asana is practiced after Sarvangasana and Viparit Karani Asana. It may apparently look very relaxing in nature, but you will reap its myriad benefits thereafter. 

The posture derives its name from the Sanskrit verses. In Sanskrit, Uttana means ‘intense stretching’, pada means ‘foot’, and asana means ‘pose’. You have to lie down on your back, in a supine position, to do the asana. The arms will also be raised and parallel to the legs. Many people also call it s a double-leg raised yoga posture. The legs will be at an angle, and not exactly 90 degrees. It also provides an intense stretch to the back muscles, along with the legs. 

How To Do the Asana?

• You have to start the asana by lying down on the back, with the arms and legs outstretched on the floor. 
• Then, you have to put some pressure on the elbows, to lift the body up, while arching the neck. 
• You have to do a backbend, that involves resting the head over the ground. 
• After that, you have to inhale and raise your legs by 45 degrees from the floor. The feet should be together, while you perform the lift and the toes should point towards the ceiling. 
• Exhale and bring the hands forward, stretched out, and join the palms, in a namaste. 
• The arms should be parallel to the thighs. 
• The main points of balance for the body are the crown and the hips. 
• Hold the pose till 6 breath count. 
• Inhale and bring the arms down again, and relax the head on the floor as well. 
• Exhale again, while bringing both the legs down on the floor, and relax in a supine position as before. 

Modifications and Variations

You can use bolsters, blocks, and blankets, under the neck and spine. Using them requires less strength on the practitioner’s part, so that there is less pressure on the legs. 

You can also place the legs on a wall for added support. The additional support of the walls, will allow you to hold the position for a longer time. 

Uttana Padasana Hand on Floor Variation is an option for you, if you are facing difficulty while keeping the hands and legs stretched together. The hands on the sides, can give you strength to hold the pose. 

Uttana Padasana Hands Behind the Head is another variation for you, that will aid you in lifting the legs off the ground. 

Your gaze or Drishti has to be towards the ceiling or at the back side of the room. It depends entirely on your flexibility. 

Safety Precautions Decoded

There are certain precautions, that you need to keep in mind, while doing the Uttana Padasana. You can read them below:

• Do not bend the legs at the knees, when the legs are up there in the air. 
• You have to keep your buttocks firmly on the ground. 
• You have to engage the core muscles, when you are lifting the torso, by bending the back, supported by the crown and hips. 
• If you are beginner, and are doing the posture for the first time, it makes sense to do one leg at one time. 
• Start by raising the leg to a lower angle and then increase the angle to 45 degrees. 
• You can use props, like folded blankets, bolsters, and cushions to support your back, if you are uncomfortable while doing the backbend. 

Who Can Do This Asana and Who Cannot?

• If you do not have any injuries in your body and are of normal constitution, you can do this pose with great ease. 
• Avoiding this asana will be better for you, if you have some kind of injury in your neck, back, pelvis, or leg muscles. 
• If you are pregnant, you must refrain from doing this pose. 
• Those who suffer from severe spondylitis must not do this asana. 
• If you are suffering from some sort of cardiac disease, then also you should refrain from doing this asana. 
• If you have undergone any kind of surgery for hernia, you have to wait for at least two weeks, before you can practice this pose. 
• If you have migraine, you cannot arch your back. That means you cannot practice this pose. 

Benefits of Uttana Padasana 

The Asana has a host of benefits. Read about them here. 

• Uttana Padasana is extremely beneficial for the spinal cord, so you will get relief from back pain. When you lift the back from the ground, the spine muscles get elongated and also becomes more flexible. 
• Uttana Padasana is therapeutic in respiratory diseases, as it opens up the chest cavity and increases lung capacity. 
• Uttana Padasana is a healing pose, that is believed to treat Rheumatism. It can strengthen the joints and muscles, by improving the flow of blood. 
• Your leg and hip muscles get a huge boost, when you regularly practice this asana. When you are holding the legs up in the air, it helps in the expansion of the leg muscles. Your hamstrings, glutes and calves also get a deep stretch. 
• You also give a good stretch to your shoulder muscles and arms, when you hold the hands joint at the palms, and stretched forward. Your biceps and triceps are also positively affected. 
• You can tone your abdomen by doing this asana. When you keep your legs in lifted condition against the gravity, it leads to the contraction of the abdominal muscles and burn excess fat. 
• Your reproductive organs also get a huge boost, when you perform this asana. The engagement of the pelvic muscles enhances the flow of blood to the thighs, groin area and the reproductive organs. 
• When you give your neck a stretch for a long time, the thyroid glands get a boost and increases metabolism. 

Thus, you get benefitted in multiple ways, when you practice this asana.