- Category
- Seated
- Level
- beginner
- Hold
- 5–10 breaths, or 1–3 minutes supported
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Inhale to lengthen, exhale to fold deeper
Seated Forward Fold
Paschimottanasana — "intense stretch of the west (back of the body)"
A full fold over straight legs that stretches the entire back of the body, from heels to neck. The work is in folding from the hips and being patient — not in grabbing your feet.
Step by step
- 1Sit in Staff Pose with your legs extended and feet flexed.
- 2Inhale and reach your arms up, lengthening your spine.
- 3Exhale and hinge forward from your hips, leading with your chest.
- 4Hold your shins, ankles, or feet — wherever you reach without forcing.
- 5With each inhale lengthen your spine slightly; with each exhale soften a little deeper.
- 6Let your head and neck relax once you've settled into the fold.
- 7To come out, inhale and rise with a long spine.
Benefits
- ✓ Deeply stretches the hamstrings, calves, and back
- ✓ Encourages a calm, inward-turned state
- ✓ Teaches folding from the hips rather than rounding the spine
- ✓ Counterbalances long periods of sitting in chairs
Make it yours
- · Loop a strap around the soles of your feet and hold it instead of reaching for your toes.
- · Sit on a folded blanket to tip your pelvis forward.
- · Rest your torso on a bolster laid along your legs for a supported, longer hold.
- · Keep a soft bend in your knees — the fold is about the hips, not locked legs.
Take care
- Bend your knees generously or sit up on a blanket if your lower back strains or your hamstrings feel sharp.
- Ease off any fold that causes tingling or pain down the legs.
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Practiced in
Props that help here
- 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
- 8-foot cotton strap — Extends your reach in hamstring and shoulder work — the honest substitute for grabbing a foot you can't yet reach. Get 8ft, not 6ft. find one
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