Standing forward fold (hold)

Uttanasana

Yogaeasytimedno equipment

From standing, hinge at the hip creases and fold the torso down onto the legs like closing a book: belly toward the thighs, head hanging toward the knees and shins, hands flat on the floor beside the feet, legs straight with the hips stacked over the heels.

How to do it

1. Stand in Mountain pose, feet hip-width or together, hands on the hips.
2. Exhale and hinge forward from the hip creases (not the waist), keeping the front of the torso long.
3. Continue folding until the belly and chest come toward the thighs and the head hangs down toward the knees/shins, crown pointing at the floor, neck relaxed.
4. Place the palms flat on the floor beside the feet (or hold the ankles/opposite elbows).
5. Legs straight but not locked (knees may bend slightly if hamstrings are tight); hips stay above the heels, weight slightly toward the balls of the feet, feet flat.

Muscles worked

Supporting: hamstrings