Standing Separate-Leg StretchDandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimottanasana
- Category
- Standing
- Level
- intermediate
- Hold
- 5–8 breaths
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Inhale to lengthen, exhale to fold and gently pull.
Standing Separate-Leg Stretch
Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimottanasana — "standing separate-leg intense stretch posture"
The Bikram-style wide-legged fold: grip your heels from the outside and draw the crown of your head toward the floor between your feet.
Step by step
- 1Step your feet wide apart, about one leg's length, toes turned slightly in.
- 2Inhale, reach your arms overhead, then exhale and fold forward from the hips.
- 3Reach for your heels, gripping them from the outside with your fingers under the outer edges of the feet.
- 4Pull gently with your arms, bending the elbows toward the floor.
- 5Draw the crown of your head toward the floor between your feet, keeping the neck relaxed.
- 6Shift your weight toward the balls of the feet so your hips stay stacked over the ankles.
- 7Keep the legs straight and active without locking the knees.
- 8Release the grip, bring hands to hips, and inhale up with a long spine.
Benefits
- ✓ Deeply stretches the hamstrings and inner thighs
- ✓ Lengthens the spine with the arms actively pulling
- ✓ Stretches the calves and backs of the knees
- ✓ Builds patience in a strong traction fold
Make it yours
- · Hold the ankles or calves instead of the heels.
- · Rest your hands or head on blocks under the shoulders.
- · Shorten the stance and soften the knees for a gentler fold.
Take care
- Bend the knees and skip the heel grip if you have a hamstring or lower-back injury.
- Come up slowly, or keep the head above the heart, if you have low blood pressure.
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Practiced in
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
- Liforme Original — The grippiest mat we've used, with alignment markers that genuinely help beginners place hands and feet. Priciest of the three. find one
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