Lower back, hips and knees

Paschimottanasana: Classic + Bent Knee

A deep seated forward fold that provides maximum posterior chain release, improving hamstring flexibility and relieving tension through your entire back body.

How to do it

1. 1

   Sit tall with your legs straight out in front

   Sitting bones grounded, feet active, spine upright. Sit up on a folded blanket if your pelvis is rolling backwards.

2. 2

   Lift up out of your hips before you fold

   Grow as tall as you can, then hinge from the hip joints rather than starting the movement in the back.

3. 3

   Fold forward only as far as the legs allow

   Hands reach toward the shins or the feet, wherever they land without hauling. This is the deepest fold in the set, so let the stopping point be where the spine is still long.

4. 4

   Hold for one to three minutes and keep breathing

   Bending the knees, using a strap around the feet, or sitting up on a blanket each make it considerably less intense.

What to watch for

Rounding hard through the lower back to bring your head closer to your legs. That, or anything travelling down the back of a leg, means come up and use a bent knee, a strap or a blanket instead of pressing on.

Ways to adjust it

• Bent knee
• Strap
• Blanket under pelvis
• Soft knee

Other ways to do this movement

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

• Paschimottanasana: Blanket Under Pelvis

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.