Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose)

<h2> Utthita Parsvakonasana. The Side Angle Pose</h2>"Parsva" means side, flank, and "kona" - angle. This is the extended side angle pose. Short description of Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose) 1. Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose).2. On an inhalation jump the feet 120-130 cm apart. Stretch the arms out to the sides.3. Turn the right foot out 90° and the left foot slightly in. Tighten the knees and the thighs.4. Bend the right leg at the knee until the thigh and the calf form a right angle. The right thigh is parallel to the floor and the shin perpendicular to it. Inhale once or twice.5. Exhale and turn the trunk to the right. Place the right palm on the floor beside the right foot.6. Stretch the left arm over the ear; turn the neck and look up.7. This is the final position. Breathe normally and stay in it for 20-30 seconds, paying attention to the following points:(1) draw the right buttock in so that it stays in line with the outer side of the right knee;(2) tighten the quadriceps and stretch the hamstrings of the left leg;(3) draw in the left armpit, biceps, wrist and elbow. The body from the left ankle to the left hand is stretched as one whole, so that there is no wobbling;(4) draw the shoulder blades in; turn the left side of the trunk up and back so that the chest is broadened and the back of the body stays in one plane.8. On an inhalation lift the right palm off the floor and lift the trunk, keeping the right leg at a right angle. Take a breath in.9. Inhale, straighten the right knee and come into the position.10. Repeat the same pose to the left, following all the instructions but replacing the word «right» with «left». Return to Tadasana. Special notes: (1) It is important to set the correct distance between the feet, otherwise the bent leg will not form a right angle. If the distance is too great the angle comes out obtuse, and if it is too small the angle will be acute. The distance should be chosen to suit the person's height. When the pose is done to the right, the distance is set with the left foot, which moves in or steps back; the right foot stays still in that case, and vice versa. The leg that is already bent is not used for this.(2) The left palm stays facing the floor as you turn the left side of the body upwards.(3) Beginners (if their mobility is insufficient) may keep the fingertips on the floor. Detailed description of Utthita Parsvakonasana Utthita Parsvakonasana - the «straight side angle». This pose belongs to the family of «standing» asanas with a lunge, in which one leg stays straight while the other - the one towards which the exercise is in fact performed - is bent at the knee at a right angle. The upper part of that thigh is strictly parallel to the floor, and the section of the leg from the knee to the ankle joint is perpendicular. The position of the feet is the standard one.The trunk bends towards the lunge, as though lying with the same-side flank on the surface of the thigh, which is parallel to the floor. Here again both shoulder blades are set against a vertical surface, that is, the ribcage is turned into the plane of the legs. The lower arm rests on the floor with the palm or the fingers, placed on the outside, behind the leg, and not next to the inner side of the foot. The flank more or less touches the leg on the same side, but in reality the degree of that contact depends on the length of the arms, which differs from person to person.The lunge in this asana has to be held by the effort of the thigh muscles of the bent leg. Those with good joints and reasonable flexibility have a chance of dodging the work this pose requires: performing the lunge, they collapse into it, sinking the hip until an acute angle appears at the knee. The outline of the pose then looks very much like the one required - but only to an inexperienced eye.The thigh muscles of the lunging leg are switched off in the process; they stop working altogether, and the body «hangs» on the knee joint. This is a mistake. «Standing» poses are meant not for escaping useful load but, on the contrary, for finding the maximum effort that the given form offers and remaining in it, having completely switched off the nervous component of the physical effort along with the muscles that take no part in the process.In asanas performed with a lunge there is one small but sound trick, described by Faeq Biria during the Moscow seminars at the end of the eighties. So that the load on the muscles of the bent leg is not felt so strongly and does not disturb the state of consciousness, one must observe the so-called «hinch». If we look at the foot of a leg standing freely on the floor, we can see that where the instep is, closer to the inner side, a tendon stands out noticeably and then runs upwards along the shin bone. The «hinch» is a section of that tendon - the stretch of it from the end of the instep to the place where the leg becomes strictly vertical. In fact «hinch», or «inch», is nothing other than an inch, that is, about three centimetres of the length of that piece of tendon.And if we lift the toes off the floor with a certain effort, this section of tendon tightens and becomes, as it were, «iron». The work of the thigh muscles of the bent leg is no longer felt, and then, observing the «hinch», it becomes possible to hold lunging asanas as though with no effort at all. But that does not mean the effort has vanished and no longer acts on the body and on perception. If, using the «hinch», you hold an asana with a lunge for too long, even without feeling anything at the time, your breathing will go astray after you have come out of the pose, once you are already at rest - so the trick described should be used sensibly.The arm placed above is extended and also touches the wall together with the upper shoulder blade on the same side, being at the same time a continuation of the line of the upper flank. Turning the head up, you should look at the ceiling from beneath the arm. When I say «look at the ceiling» or «at the thumb of the upper hand», this does not mean you must stare there at all costs, wrenching the neck and the eyes, which, incidentally, are better closed when possible. You simply need to observe the position of the head, turning it as far as is available to you, without noticeable strain,There are no contraindications to this pose apart from the general ones set out in the chapter «Asana». The effect is the same as that of the «triangles», with the sole difference that the ranges of joint movement change. The reverse variant of this exercise gives beginners unforgettable sensations and is called Parivrtta Parsvakonasana - the «revolved side angle pose». (V. Boyko, YIK) The effect of practising Utthita Parsvakonasana This asana tones the ankles, knees and thighs. It corrects defects of the calves and thighs, develops the chest, reduces fat deposits around the waist and pelvis, and relieves sciatica and arthritis. It also increases intestinal peristalsis and aids bowel movement.