With our aim to help yogis do difficult yoga poses with ease and composure, we keep adding a pose or two each week to our ever-expanding list of yoga poses. This time, we will let you know about Supta Padangusthasana, better known as Reclining Big Toe Pose, while focusing on it myriad therapeutic and health benefits, step-by-step instructions and precautionary measures.
Etymologically speaking, Supta Padangusthasana owes its origin to three Sanskrit words: supta, pada and angusta, which mean reclining, foot and big toe respectively. Hence, as the name itself indicates, Supta Padangusthasana requires yogis to recline and catch hold of their feet and big toe to achieve this pose.
Step By Step
1. First, you need to lie flat on the yoga mat or floor on your back with the legs outstretched. Now bring your right knee closer to your chest while making sure that your left leg makes a strong contact with the floor.
2. Next, you can take a strap and wrap it around the ball of the right foot. Straighten your right leg toward the ceiling while holding both the ends of the strap.
3. Now, as you stretch your right leg upwards, make sure that both sides of your butt press against the floor.
4. Finally, as you hold this pose for 5 to 10 breaths, keep your left foot and leg pressed into the floor. Now, do this pose on the other side.
Benefits
1. The Reclining Big Toe Pose helps stretch hamstrings, calves, groins, hips and thighs, aside from strengthening your knees.
2. The highly therapeutic yoga pose helps improve digestion; relieves sciatica, backache and menstrual discomfort; stimulates prostate gland; and, finally, helps one recover from infertility and flat feet.
Precautionary Measures
1. Those suffering with diarrhea, headache or high blood pressure should avoid this pose.
2. If you find it difficult to keep your legs and feet rooted to the floor, you can keep your bottom-leg heel pressed against the wall.
