Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana: Enhancing Flexibility and Balance

Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana at a Glance

How to Do Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana?
Follow the Step-by-Step Procedure

• This balancing posture needs to have a good foundation of balance and flexibility, so do the preparatory poses and a good warm-up to avoid any injury.
• Begin standing in the Tadasana (mountain pose) pose, keep your feet hip-width distance take some good deep breaths stretch your back, lengthen your spine, and place your arms by the side of your body and gaze forward.
• Take a deep breath and slowly bring your body weight to your left leg (left foot).
• Fold your right leg bring your right knee to your chest and hug with both hands.
• Slowly hold your right foot big toe with the help of your left hand (left arm), and keep a firm grip.
• Breathe out slowly straighten your right leg and extend your right hand (right arm) on the right side.
• Turn your torso towards the extended hand and the right hip.
• Gaze to your right hand and in this position, you have a slight twist in your upper body.
• Keep your standing leg grounded keep the lifted leg foot flexed to balance better.
• Keep breathing and hold this pose for a few breaths.
• When you are ready to release, inhale and come back as you go into the pose gradually and relax before you do it on the other side.

What are the Benefits of Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana?

• It helps to strengthen your quadriceps, calf muscles, ankles, and thighs.
• It helps to stretch your hamstrings, shoulders, back, and chest.
• This pose helps to make your body parts more flexible and also improves your body posture.
• This helps open the outer hips, legs, quadriceps, and hamstrings.
• Regular practice of this pose can help to enhance the digestion process and keep your bloating and constipation away.
• It can help to improve your focus, balance, and coordination and strengthen your entire standing leg.

• Regular practice of this balancing pose can improve your digestion process and keep your digestive system healthy.
• People who want to improve their core strength and relief from lower back pain can include this pose in their routine.
• This can be helpful for people with mild sciatica pain.
• People who want to improve their physical and mental balance can do this pose.
• This pose also can be helpful to people with mild stress and anxiety.

Health Conditions that Might Benefit from Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana

Safety and Precaution

• People with any back issues or herniated discs should avoid this pose.
• People with any injury or surgery should avoid this pose.
• People with high blood pressure should avoid this pose.
• The warmup is mandatory to avoid any sprain or injury.
• Follow the alignment principles for safety.
• Do the relaxing follow-up poses.

Common Mistakes

• Let your core muscles be engaged throughout the pose.
• Keep your standing leg active and straight.
• Don’t try to pull the lifted leg toe, it may create imbalance.
• Avoid holding your breath and keep your breath gentle.
• Don’t rush into the pose, be mindful.

Tips for Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana

• Prepare your body parts before doing this pose by doing warmups and preparatory poses (standing balance poses).
• Avoid hunching, keep your spine extended.
• Twist the upper body toward your extended arm.
• Gaze at a steady point to maintain the balance.
• Listen to your body and do accordingly.
• Use a yoga strap to hold your feet if needed.
• Initially do this pose under the guidance of the yoga teacher.
• Keep breathing throughout the pose.
• Let your leg muscles be active and can slightly keep your lifted leg knee bent.

Physical Alignment Principle for Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana

• Keep your standing leg grounded, and keep your foot firm on the four corners.
• Keep the toes firm.
• Bring the energy up through the standing leg.
• Keep the quadriceps engaged for the lifted leg and rotate the thigh inward.
• Bring both your sit bones toward each other.
• Lift and open your chest.
• Flex your lifted foot and keep your heel extended.
• Draw the shoulder blades together and down.
• Gaze toward your extended arm.
• Keep your core engaged.
• Twist the torso from the navel.

Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana and Breath

Take a deep breath and come to eh steady Tadasana pose and relax your body and energize before entering the pose. Inhale and fold your left knee and exhale and hug to your chest. Inhale extend and exhale to stretch and straighten your left leg, with the help of the opposite arm. Inhale deeply, open your chest and exhale to twist your upper body and feel the stretch and gaze at your extended arm. Keep breathing gently and feel the release of stress and tension, every time you exhale. Gradually inhale and release the twist and come back to eh Tadasana pose and relax.

Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana and Variation

• Use the wall or a chair for support if you are a beginner
• Use a yoga strap to hold your toe
• Extended side angle pose
• Half-moon poses
• Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (standing hand to big toe pose).
• Tada Hasta Padangusthasana

Conclusion

Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana or Dancing Shiva Pose is an intermediate standing balance pose which improves focus and concentration, enhancing flexibility and strength. Beginners should practice the base pose before attempting this pose and progress gradually according to their physical limitations. If you have any health concerns, please consult a doctor for guidance. Breathing with the movement of the pose improves balance and stability, releases stress and tension and calms the whole body.

Take Your Practice to Next Level

To practice poses like Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana, join our 100-Hour Vinyasa Yoga TTC. This course focuses on dynamic sequences and balancing poses to build the skills for intermediate asanas. For a complete yoga teacher training, join our 200-Hour Online YTT. You’ll learn many poses and techniques to improve your practice. Start learning now!