- Category
- Balancing
- Level
- intermediate
- Hold
- 5 breaths per side
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Inhale to grow taller, exhale to settle the standing foot.
Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana — "extended hand-to-big-toe posture"
Hold your big toe and extend the leg forward while standing tall — then, if steady, open it out to the side. A strap or a bent knee makes this pose available to almost everyone; a straight spine matters more than a straight leg.
Step by step
- 1Stand tall and shift your weight into your left foot.
- 2Draw your right knee up and take hold of your right big toe with the first two fingers of your right hand — or hold a strap around the foot.
- 3Rest your left hand on your left hip and stand tall.
- 4Slowly extend the right leg forward, only as far as your spine stays upright.
- 5Stay for a few breaths; if steady, open the leg out to the right, gaze turning gently left.
- 6Bring the leg back to center, bend the knee, and lower the foot with control.
- 7Repeat on the other side.
Benefits
- ✓ Stretches the hamstrings and inner thigh of the lifted leg
- ✓ Strengthens the standing leg and hip
- ✓ Builds core control — the trunk holds you upright while the leg pulls forward
- ✓ Trains balance through slow, deliberate transitions
Make it yours
- · Loop a strap around the lifted foot — this is the standard version for most bodies.
- · Simply hold the lifted knee at hip height; upright posture on one leg is the heart of the pose.
- · Rest the lifted heel on a chair back or ledge and practice the shape without the balance demand.
Take care
- If you have balance issues, keep your free hand on a wall throughout.
- Take care with hamstring strains — keep the lifted knee well bent and skip the full extension.
- Take care with ankle or knee injuries on the standing side; a supported version is the better practice.
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Props that help here
- Manduka PRO — The buy-it-once option — dense, stable, famously durable. Heavy, so it lives at home, which is where practice happens anyway. find one
- Cork blocks (set of 2) — Bring the floor closer in lunges, folds, and triangle — and a block between the shoulder blades turns a backbend into something you can hold. find one
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