Uttanasana/Padhahastasana (Standing Forward Fold)

Have you ever wondered why the forward fold is such a foundational element in Yoga. This is natural since many asanas require proper alignment in your forward fold. In many Yoga flows, including the most basic Surya Namaskar, forward fold plays a critical role. It is perhaps the easiest to focus for new beginners and of course the easiest to make mistakes.

Focus on the Spine

The most common mistake that I have seen is an arching spine. Most students focus on reaching the floor, but give little attention to the spine’s curvature. Your spine, while cannot be perfectly straight, should never be arched (like shown on the left). Pull the buttocks up and keep the spine straight as you go down. The moment your spine starts to arch, is when you should stop. That is your limit. Touching the floor is less important than touching the floor right. It is very important to learn this correctly since forward fold is part of many asanas. Learning it wrong means, you will stick with a bad habit and do more damage than good in the long term as you work with other asanas.

Slowly Straighten It

One way to deal with round spine is to start low, with a bend knee. Bend your knee until you reach a level where your thigh and chest is together. If your hands are not touching the floor, you can use blocks on either side of your feet. This helps in keeping the spine straight. After a few days of practice, you will start seeing the difference.

The Natural Pose

As shown above this is my limit while keeping the upper spine straight. Though I can go further down, but not without sacrificing the natural posture. That is important, feel natural as you perform an asana.