How to perform Intense Side Stretch Pose
Fold into Uttanasana and twist by walking your hands to the side. Grab onto your ankle, push against it to go deeper into the twist.
What is Parsva Uttanasana?
This intense forward bend is a great way to breathe life into your side body and to improve overall health in your ribcage area and spine. It is an asymmetric pose and can thus help you figure out which side holds more tension and is in need of extra attention.
As you fold over into Uttanasana, grab hold of your right ankle with your left hand. Using this as leverage, start to walk your right hand as far out to the side as your body will allow you. This offers you the combined benefit of releasing your spine and twisting your side body.
When to use Parsva Uttanasana?
Parsva Uttanasana can be incorporated into most sequences and is especially useful for providing you with the necessary foundations for more complex standing poses. This is because, apart from involving a stretching motion, it also cultivates a sense of balance as your centre of gravity shifts a little when you twist in this particular way.
It allows your spine to release and it promotes blood flow to your brain, which can be very beneficial if you’re feeling low or drained. It can also serve as a decent preparation for more advanced standing twists, like those experienced in Parivritta Trikonasana or Parivritta Parsvakonasana.
