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Restorative yoga poses and hatha yoga stretches

English name: Squat and Rise Pose
Sanskrit name: Utthanasana

Difficulty level: Basic

Technique

1. Stand with your hands in prayer position and your feet 2 feet apart.
2. Turn your feet outwards (left toes pointing to the left side and right toes pointing to the right side) so they are in one line, being careful to maintain your balance.
3. Extend your back, tuck your tailbone and your stomach in. Keep your ankles, hips and neck in one line throughout the pose.
4. Exhale as you bend your knees bringing your buttocks as low as possible. Keep your back straight and upright and your tail tucked in to keep your hips, knees and feet in one line.
5. With your hands still in prayer position, use your elbows to push your knees further apart to open your hips. Breathe normally as you hole the pose for 10 seconds.
6. Inhale as you return to a standing position.
7. Breathe deeply one or two times to energise.

Breathing

• Inhale for strength as you prepare for the pose.
• Exhale as you bend your legs and lower into the pose.
• Breathe normally as you hold the pose.
• Inhale as you straighten to the standing position.
• Exhale and you relax.

Benefits

• Anatomical - Stretches the ankles, knees and hip. Strengthens the thighs and back muscles.

Notes

• Focus on your alignment in the pose. If you bend forward over your legs, the stretch in the back muscles is lost, keep the back straight and upright to strengthen the back muscles. If you alow your tail and buttocks to protrude, or your knees to close together, then the hip stretch is lost.
• Focus you full attention on one spot to help with the balance in this pose.