Utthita Parsvakonasana elongates the side body and creats elasticity in the trunk while building strength, stamina and flexibility in the front thigh and hip. This asana frees up connective tissue in and around the pevic crests.

Utthita means extended or intense, parsva means side and kona means angle. The latisimus dorsi is lengthed with the extended arm overhead. This action also contracts the serratus anterior, deltoid and trapezius. The intercostals are also freed up, which contributes to greater lung power. In an alternate action, drawing the scapula and deltoid down inferiorly, contracts the latissiums and lengthens the trapezius, which helps to free muscles and connective tissue in the neck with some students.

ACTIONS & CUES

• Exhale; step or jump to the side with the feet 3 1/2 to 4 feet apart. Align the right heel with the arch of the left foot by turning the right foot out 90 degrees and your left foot in 45 degrees
• Spread your arms out over your legs at shoulder height palms down, and extend from the spine out to the fingertips.
• Firm the thighs and lift the toes of the feet establishing grounding through the feet and lift through the body.
• Exhale; bend at the right hip joint extending the torso over the right leg. Do not come down over the leg, and instead create length through both sides of the torso and out the crown of the head.
• Ground through the outer edge of the left foot and engage the left leg. Stack the left side of the torso directly over the right. Lengthen both sides of the torso equally.
• Rest your right hand on the floor or a block without shortening the right side of the torso.
• Stretch your left arm over the ear and gaze softly at the thumb while rotating the chest – again keeping the left and right sides of the body equal in length.
• Hold the pose, and come out on an inhale lifting out with the left arm and firming through the left leg. Repeat on the other side.

VARIATIONS

• Place bottom arm to inside of front leg and press inner thigh bone back. This is epecially useful if students' front groins are tight, or if they have a limited rotational ability in trunk.
• Press elbow and upper arm into inner thigh of front leg, as front hip drops parallel to the floor. This increases rotational capacity in trunk as well as extension of side body.
• Bind hands behind the back by taking bottom arm under front leg and top arm behind back. This releases the deltoid of the bottom arm, as well as sub-scapular muscles.
• Work with a block. This should challenge a students' ability to sink the front hip while lifting bottom ribcage off of front thigh.
• Press heel and outer edge of back foot against wall in order to create more extension through side trunk.