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Parighasana
(Gate Pose)

How to perform Gate Pose

Start in a kneeling position. Your left leg stays bent, the thigh perpendicular to the floor, as you straighten the right leg and extend it at your side. Place your left hand on your right shinbone and extend your right arm up and over your head. Repeat on both sides.

What is Parighasana?

This is an asymmetric, kneeling asana aimed at opening up the hips and stretching the hamstrings and side body. You start by kneeling. One leg stays bent, the knee rooted into the floor, as you extend the other leg out to the side. As you hold in this pose, the thigh of your bent leg stays perpendicular to the floor. The toes of your extended leg point towards the ceiling and your side body elongates through the reach of your outstretched upper arm.

When to use Parighasana?

Parighasana is great for breathing life into your side body and for stretching the hamstrings. It can easily be incorporated into many different types of sequences and is especially useful if you want to relieve chronic fatigue in the legs. It is also good for improving flexibility in the hamstrings – this will help increase your confidence levels in more strenuous standing and forward-bending postures.