Hastapadasana

The uniqueness of this asana is to respect and value one’s inner being, yield to its intuitiveness. This asana is replete with humility and acceptance of the self along with surrender to the universe. It represents a cycle of energy generated within the body and offered to the cosmos.
-Stand with your feet together and hands at the side.
-While inhaling, raise both your hands from the front above your head.
-While exhaling, bring the your hands down to touch your toes or grasp your ankles keeping your knees straight. Also, remember to keep your head and hands together as a unit as you bend down or rise up for maximum benefit.
-Suspending your breath, keeping your knees straight, try to touch your forehead to the knees. Stay in the position for 6 seconds with suspended breath or stay in the position breathing normally for not more than 2 minutes.
-While inhaling, raise your hands up above your head.
-As you exhale, bring your hands down to the sides in a sweeping motion.
The benefits of this asana include extreme stretching of ones posterior muscles, while proving suppleness to the spine. Intra-abdominal compression provides good circulation and massage to your abdomen and pelvic viscera. It tones your abdominal wall and reduces unnecessary fat deposited in the abdominal area while also inducing clavicular breathing and aids proper ventilation of the uppermost part of the lungs.
The asana has therapeutic benefits on ones back, hips and hamstring muscles; stimulating the urogenital, digestive, nervous and endocrine systems and aiding blood circulation in ones head.