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Step 1
Stand with your feet about hip width apart and inhale deeply as you reach your hands overhead. Exhale, and bend forward at the hips, keeping your back long and straight as you extend out with your hands. Drop into a forward bend in preparation for the standing split.
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Step 2
Place your palms on two yoga blocks, even with the outsides of your feet and just a few inches in front of your toes. Exhale as you twist your chest slightly to the right side, allowing the ball of your left foot to pivot as you lift the heel of of the ground.
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Step 3
Find your balance with your hands and right foot and then slowly begin lifting your left leg. Make sure that your left hip and leg do not rotate externally, instead, actively rotate the leg inward, helping to hold your pelvis parallel to the floor.
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Step 4
Point the toes of your left foot and continue lifting the leg as high as possible. You can perform the full standing split when you can lift your left leg straight into the air. It is important to go only as far as is comfortable, feeling the stretch through the right leg.
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Step 5
Press into the blocks and hold the pose for 30 to 60 seconds. When you begin to increase your flexibility and feel stable in the pose, try performing the standing split without the help of blocks.
