prah-sah-REE-tah pah-doh-tahn-AHS-ah-nah
A grounding standing inversion that intensely stretches the hamstrings, groins, and entire posterior chain. It calms the nervous system and encourages introspection.
Stand with wide legs, feet parallel.
Hinge forward from your hips, keeping your spine long.
Release the crown of your head towards the floor.
Press through the outer edges of your feet, lifting the inner arches.
Engage your quadriceps to lift your kneecaps.
Keep your hips stacked over your ankles.
Draw your shoulders away from your ears.
Hands can be on the floor, blocks, or holding your ankles/big toes.
Deeply stretches the hamstrings, inner thighs (adductors), and calves.
Lengthens the spine and decompresses the vertebrae.
Strengthens the legs and ankles.
Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression.
Promotes introspection and quietude.
Place blocks under your hands if the floor feels too far away, allowing you to maintain a long spine as you fold.
Stand behind the student. Place hands on the outer hips and gently pull them upward and back, encouraging a deeper hinge from the hips.
Ensure the student's knees have a micro-bend; do not force the stretch if they have tight hamstrings.
Place one hand on the sacrum and the other on the upper back. On the exhale, gently encourage length through the spine, maintaining its natural curve.
Avoid pressing on the neck; communicate about comfort and intensity.
Put your head on the floor.
Allow the crown of the head to gravitate toward the earth, facilitating a complete release of the neck and spine.