a Script for Prasarita Padottanasana A

Let us come now to the center of our mat. Find yourself first implementing those fine points of Tadasana that we just practiced. We now will open the inner groin and adductors of the legs as well as the hamstrings and gluteals by practicing Prasarita Padottanasana, or Wide Legged Forward Fold. Bring hands in namaste and feel a line of energy flowing right through the center of you. As you soften your knees, spring the feet apart about 4-5 feet and open the arms into a horizontal plane, floating above your legs. As you check your alignment, adjust to ensure that your writs are directly above your ankles. Turn your toes in slightly to ensure that your feet are parallel.  As you root down through all four corners of the feet now, try to feel a lift through the inner and outer ankle. Lift the kneecap by engaging the quadriceps (which is the large muscle group on the front of the thigh), ensuring both stability and safety to the knee. The inner thighs lift and spiral to the wall behind you just like we did in Tadasana. Inhale deeply and exhale releasing sit bones toward the floor. Inhale again, extending outward through each hand and exhale releasing hands to hips. Still engaging and lifting the essential points in feet and legs, let your side wastes lengthen. Feel that the heart is opening up as your pelvis balances evenly above the floor. Hands cupping the edges of your pelvis, feel length in both the front and back body, evenly lifting toward the heavens as you lightly engage at the solar plexus (the area from pubic to breast bones). If you may notice that your low front ribs have puffed out, simply allow them to sink back in to your center. As you maintain the openness and length of your torso, feel your shoulders moving back and down. Inhale strength and peace, lifting up through the crown of the head and exhale folding half way to the floor. Release hands either to a block or the floor beneath the 

shoulders, or if it is within your ability, hands will come in line with the feet, shoulder width apart. Together, we remain here for several breaths, lengthening again through the body before we fold more deeply. Check from ground up again and see if you might have lost some of the intentions of the body. Press down through four corners of the feet, lifting through ankles, quadriceps and solar plexus. Now spread your sit bones apart and allow the back to become hallow as you gaze forward. We are deepening the hip fold crease here and protecting the sacral area from injury. Inhale loving openness and exhale the body toward the floor, allowing the head to rest on it if that is possible for you. Although the ultimate posture will bring your head between your feet, we can learn to respect our body and it’s limitations, playing on the fine edge of our ability without competition or judgement. A nice option for you if you are too tight to bring the head to the floor is to use your block to connect in that space. Enjoy your breath flowing in and out fully as your body opens. You are lifting through the inner thighs, ensuring that these muscles are secure and participating. Now bringing your hands to the hips once again, maintaining the lift in the kneecap and the engagement of the solar plexus, you may inhale yourself up with a straight back. Bringing hands to namaste once again, jump the feet together into Tadasana with namaste hands and enjoy the pulse of the chi flowing throughout your body.