Standing forward bend (Uttanasana in Sanskrit) is a common yoga pose. The goal in this pose is to fold the torso over the legs, so the torso is against the legs, while in a standing position. The top body is relaxed and the legs, hips and tail bone are engaged. Standing forward bend is used in a flow series or as a resting pose, depending on the type of yoga practice.
To begin standing forward bend, start out standing in mountain pose. Place your hands on your hips and inhale. On the exhalation, fold forward from the hips, rather than bending from the waist. Lift the torso from the hips as you begin to bend forward.
Bring the palms of the hands to the floor, either beside your feet or just in front of them. A variation of this, if your hands don’t fully reach the ground, is to have your forearms crossed holding the elbows.
In the full position, the legs are straight and the torso is folded over in front of the legs with the top of the head toward the floor. Remember that this is the ultimate goal and the full pose, not where you should expect to be in the very beginning.
It’s ok to have a soft bend in the knee in this position, if needed. It’s better to have a light bend in the knee and have the head and torso facing downward than to have the legs straight and not have the head facing down. Gradually, you can work on straightening the legs as you progress in your yoga practice.
Once you are in the pose, lift the torso slightly on each inhalation and on each exhalation breath, relax a bit deeper into the pose. To come out of standing forward bend, return the hand to the hips and on the inhalation, begin to return to a standing position.
There are several benefits to standing forward bend. This pose is good for stretching the hamstrings, calf and hip muscles, which increases flexibility. The health benefits include relief of stress and depression, headache relief, reduction in fatigue and improved digestion.