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Restorative yoga poses and hatha yoga stretches

English name: Reverse triangle pose
Sanskrit name: Parivrtta Trikonasana

Difficulty level: Basic

Technique

1. Stand feet together, tailbone and stomach tucked in.
2. Separate your feet to about one and a half meters apart, raise your arms to the side at shoulder height.
3. Turn your right foot 90 degrees to the right and your left foot slightly to the right, keeping both legs straight.
4. Exhale as you bend and twist your body to the right so that your left hand is holding your right leg at your shin or ankle, or on the floor out side your right foot. Make sure to keep your back straight and your hips rotated to the left.
5. Turn your head to look at your right hand which is pointing at the ceiling.
6. Breathe normally as you hold the final position for 15 seconds.
7. Inhale as you return to the upright position.
8. Repeat the pose to the left side.

Breathing

• Exhale as you forward bend into the pose.
• Breathe normally as you hold the pose.
• Inhale as you return to the standing position.

Benefits

• Anatomical - This is a good stretch for the hamstrings and is effective in relieving back ache. The pose can also speed the recovery of soft tissues in the lower spine through increased blood supply to that region.

Notes

• If it is not possible to side bend with the front leg straight then you can release some of the hamstring stretch by bending the front knee, keeping the back knee straight.