Physical Education · Ch 3 — Yoga as Preventive Measure for Lifestyle Disease
Paschimottanasana
Paschimottanasana
The word comes from paschima meaning west or the back of the body and uttana meaning intense stretch, so Paschimottanasana is a seated forward bend that intensely stretches the entire back of the body. It is a seated forward-bending asana, and for obesity it is prescribed because folding forward compresses the abdomen — massaging the digestive organs and helping to reduce belly fat — while lengthening the spine and the hamstrings.
Drawn by us to help you understand the concept clearly, and verified to make sure it's accurate. For exams, practice from your NCERT textbook's own diagram.
Side view of the seated forward bend: the person sits with both legs stretched straight in front, folds forward from the hips over the legs, holds the big toes with the fingers, and brings the forehead down toward the knees in an inte …
Procedure
- Sit with both legs stretched out together in front, hands by the sides and palms resting on the ground, fingers together and pointing forward.
- Loosen the back muscles and bend the body forward as far as is possible.
- Hold this position and let the hands rest where they are comfortable — ideally on the thighs.
- Practise daily, bending a little further each time. Finally, hold the big toes with the forefingers of the respective hands and place the forehead on the knees.
- After a few seconds, raise the head, release the toes and come back to the original position.
Breathing awareness: breathe slowly and deeply in the final position, or breathe out if holding only for a short time; inhale while returning to the starting position.
The forward bend must come from the hip joints, not from rounding the lower back. It is better to keep the back straight and go only as far as the hamstrings allow — holding the shins rather than the feet — than to round the spine to reach the toes.
Benefits
For obesity, the forward fold works on the abdomen, spine and digestion:
- Stretches the muscles of the back from the head to the ankles, and contracts the muscles of the front (anterior) part of the body.
- Improves the process of respiration and the functioning of the intra-abdominal glands, especially their secretions.
- Improves the flexibility of the lumbar region, the hips and the thighs. …