How to do the Sitting Forward Bend

THE SITTING FORWARD BEND: PAŚCIMOTTĀNĀSANA

The Forward Bend or Paścimottānāsana looks deceptively simple. But it is in fact a very important & demanding pose. Regular practice of the Forward Bend helps to keep the spine elastic, the joints mobile, the internal organs toned and the nervous system invigorated. In Paścimottānāsana, the body is folded almost in half, providing a comprehensive stretch to the entire back of the body, from the toes up to the scalp.

Forward Bend is a boon for many of the typical postural problems related to modern life, whereby a lot of the body’s major muscles have become shortened due to stress, lack of exercise and bad postural habits, such as spending so much time sitting on chairs.

The efficiency of the Forward Bend stretch depends mostly on keeping your legs straight and on the proper position of all ten toes, which must be pulled towards you (flexed) before lowering the body into the pose.

This pose can be very meditative. If you put equal emphasis on posture, breathing, and relaxation in your practice, this will balance the stimulation provided by the muscle stretches with your body’s quiet awareness of the pull of gravity.

PHYSICAL BENEFITS

• Restores flexibility to the back of the body, alleviating muscular tension in the back.
• Corrects exaggerated lower back curve.
• Massages all abdominal organs, especially the liver and spleen. Improves digestion. Intestines are regulated, peristalsis increased and constipation combated.
• It helps to regulate pancreatic functions, which control carbohydrate metabolism and blood sugar levels, making it valuable for diabetes patients and people with hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).
• The entire nervous system is invigorated.
• The mobility of the joints is enhanced, the spine becomes elastic and a youthful body is maintained.
• Regular practice helps to prevent compression of the spine and sciatica (pain along course of sciatic nerve, esp. in leg).
• It stretches the hamstrings (the muscles on the back of your upper legs), lumbar and sacral regions, improves postural alignment and reduces nervous tension in the body.

MENTAL BENEFITS

• The mind is calmed.
• This pose requires conscious control to align toes, knees, and neck correctly, and conscious letting go, by allowing gravity to pull the spine into the pose. Achieving control with detachment is a benefit that can be applied to daily life, as well as in the practice of meditation.