Lower back and hips

Parsvottanasana: Wall

A stable, accessible standing hamstring stretch.

How to do it

1. 1

   Stand facing a wall with your hands on it

   Roughly an arm's length away, hands at about shoulder height, feet hip width apart.

2. 2

   Step one foot back into a short stance

   Keep the front knee soft. The wall carries some of your weight, so balance is not part of the job in this version.

3. 3

   Send the hips back and lower the chest

   Press into the wall with long arms and hinge at the hip crease so the chest travels toward horizontal. The fold happens at the hips, not in the back.

4. 4

   Take the depth in stages

   Go only as far as your back can stay long, and reduce the hinge or shorten the stance whenever you want less.

5. 5

   Hold 30 to 60 seconds, then swap legs

   Walk yourself upright using the wall, then change which foot is behind.

What to watch for

Hands sliding down a smooth wall, or a hinge that goes deeper than your back can stay long for. Keep the hands pressing at a height that actually holds, and back out of the hinge the moment the spine starts to round.

Ways to adjust it

• Reduce hinge depth
• Shorter stance

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits.

• Parsvottanasana: Classic
• Parsvottanasana: Hands on Blocks

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.