PASCHIMOTTANASANA
INTENSE STRETCH TO THE WEST POSE
The main story in paschimottanasana is a symmetrical stretch of the back of the body, especially the hamstrings. Look at how this pose is different from an asymmetrical pose, such as Janu Sirsasana.
Everything starts with the pelvis. For example, in Janu Sirsasana, the pelvis tilts and angles and the hips are relatively diagonal to each other. Moving outward from the pelvis, the bent-leg hip is directed back and away from the body and is externally rotated. This angling of the pelvis affects the curvature of the spine, which in turn affects the position of the shoulders, and so on.
In Paschimottanasana, on the other hand, the pelvis is in a neutral position and the hip joints are relatively in line with each other. Paschimottanasana folds the body forward, flexing both the trunk and the hips. The knees extend, and the hands grasp the feet to link the upper and lower appendicular skeletons. The shoulder and pelvic girdles are connected by the vertebral column; thus actions in the shoulders and hips conspire to affect the spine and back, which in turn influence the position of the pelvis. This is an example of triangulation, wherein two points—here the shoulder and pelvic girdles— affect and are influenced by another point—the spinal column. Flexing the trunk causes the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the back to pull upward on the pelvis, tilting it forward. This action draws the origins of the hamstrings on the ischial tuberosities up and back, stretching these muscles.
BASIC JOINT POSITIONS
If your hamstring or back muscles are tight, feel free to use a belt. Begin with the knees bent. Then activate the quadriceps to straighten the knees, and flex the elbows to draw the torso over the thighs. Squeeze the thighs together by engaging the adductor muscles, and turn the sides of the feet slightly outward to open the soles. As you gain flexibility, reach forward to grasp the lower legs or feet, and then bend the elbows more to draw the upper body deeper into the pose. Use a standing forward bend such as Uttanasana to prepare the hamstrings and back muscles for the stretch from a different orientation. This takes advantage of the direction of gravity, so that the weight of the torso pulls on the posterior kinetic chain and further anteverts the pelvis to stretch the hamstrings.
STEP 1 Contract the quadriceps to straighten the knees, creating reciprocal inhibition of the hamstrings. The rectus femoris and tensor fascia lata cross the hip joint and contribute to flexing the femurs while synergizing the action of straightening the knees. As the femurs flex, the pelvis anteverts, or tilts forward. Press the sides of the feet into the hands to engage the gluteus medius and tensor fascia lata. The force of this contraction will aid to release the sacroiliac joint, allowing the spine to flex deeper into the pose. This is an example of nutation of the sacrum. You can also visualize the gluteus minimus synergizing hip flexion.
STEP 2 Contract the abdominals to flex the trunk. This creates reciprocal inhibition of the back muscles, allowing them to relax into the stretch. The psoas flexes the femurs and draws the trunk onto the thighs. This muscle curves over the front of the pelvis and tilts it forward (anteversion). The rectus abdominis attaches on the pubic symphysis and tilts the pelvis back (retroversion); accordingly, the rectus abdominis and psoas work together to stabilize the pelvis by virtue of their opposing actions.
STEP 3 Activate the biceps and brachialis muscles to bend the elbows and draw the trunk further over the thighs. If your hands reach around the feet as shown, then contract the pronators teres and quadratus to evert the palms and turn them outward. Alternatively, if your palms face the trunk as you grasp the sides of the feet, engage the supinator muscles of the forearms to attempt to turn the palms upward. Maintain the hands fixed on the feet and try to lift the arms straight up. Notice how this activates the anterior deltoids and draws the torso deeper into the pose. Hold the elbows up so that the arm bones are parallel to the floor, and rotate the shoulders externally, using the infraspinatus and teres minor muscles. Draw the shoulders away from the ears with the lower trapezius. These actions lengthen the entire posterior kinetic chain at the back of the body.
STEP 4 Activate the peroneus longus and brevis to evert the feet, turni g the soles outward. Extend the toes by contracting the extensor digitorum and hallucis muscles. Note how this opens and stretches the bottoms of the feet, stimula ing the minor chakras located there.
STEP 5 Engage the adductor muscles on the insides of the legs by squeezing the thighs and knees together. When you stretch the back of the body, the thighs and lower legs tend to turn outward due to the pull of the gluteus maximus. Adducting the thighs helps to counteract this and keep the kneecaps facing upward.
SUMMARY The form of Paschimottanasana creates a symmetrical stretch of the entire posterior kinetic chain. This stretch extends from the calf muscles, into the hamstrings, to the gluteus maximus, and up into the back through the quadratus lumborum and erector spinae. Observe the linking of these muscles and their attachments to bone to better understand the interconnections between the shoulder, spine, and pelvis. See how each of these corners of the triangle affects the other.