How to Do Upward One Leg Yoga Posture

Video Transcript

"CINDY MASTRY: Having tight hamstrings or maybe even tight low back keeps you from doing some poses that you might otherwise be able to do. We can use blocks to alleviate that problem. Faith's going to help me demonstrate Urdhva Ekapadasana or upward one leg stretch or sometimes called the standing split pose. So we're going to ask Faith to start out in Tadasana, lengthening up, rooting down through her feet and reaching through the crown of her head. She's going to inhale and reach her arms up to the sky. Lifting out of her waist, she's lengthen up and as she exhales, fold forward. Now, she may not be able to come down all the way and her spine maybe rounded and that's where these blocks which you can put at all different levels come in handy. So we're going to place these blocks right under Faith's hands and then she is able to lengthen out her spine. She's going to take one leg up, which ever you prefer. It doesn't really matter. And she's going to extend it up as far as she can. Now, it does not have to come up very high, just as high as she can. Your hip can be open or close. But when you're in this posture, using the blocks allows you to come into the full posture even though you might have a tight back and tight hamstrings 'cause it takes--it brings the ground up higher so you just don't have to go down as far. And therefore, she's able to get all the benefits of this pose which is reversing the flow of gravity, flushing new blood into her heart and lymph node system which is really good for your immune system. She's going to relax her head down and just breathe. Good. This is also going to work her glute muscles, give her standing strength and balance through her leg muscles and work her balance."