Wide-Legged Fold

The wide stance can tempt students to let the feet turn out, which changes the pose from a hamstring and inner-thigh stretch into something closer to a squat. Keeping the outer edges of the feet roughly parallel keeps the intended stretch honest.

To fold forward with length through the spine, supported by a wide, stable base.

1. 1Step the feet wide apart, roughly the length of one leg, outer edges parallel.
2. 2Hands come to the hips, and on an inhale, lengthen the spine forward, keeping it flat.
3. 3On an exhale, hinge from the hips and fold forward, hands landing on the floor, blocks, or a stable surface between the feet.
4. 4Let the head hang heavy, crown reaching toward the floor.
5. 5Bend the elbows out to the sides and, if it feels good, let the crown of the head rest lightly on the floor.
6. 6Stay for several breaths, releasing a little further with each exhale.

Instead of searching for the “correct” position, notice:

• •Outer edges of the feet parallel, not turned out.
• •Weight even across both feet, not sinking into the inner arches.
• •Fold initiated from the hip creases, not by rounding the low back.
• •Neck fully released once the fold has settled.

Similar to Uttanasana, the exhale is what does the real work of releasing here. Let each one soften the hamstrings and low back a little more rather than forcing depth on the inhale.

Check the feet before the fold. If the outer edges have splayed open, the stretch shifts away from the hamstrings and inner thighs and the pose becomes something else entirely, even though it might look similar from a distance. A quick cue to parallel the feet often changes the whole sensation of the pose for a student.

Reflect after practising:

• •Widening or narrowing the stance changes which part of the leg feels the stretch most. Experiment to find what your body responds to.
• •Letting the head hang fully is often more valuable than reaching the hands further onto the floor.

Rather than mistakes, you may notice:

• •Walk the hands forward along the floor slightly to find a version with a flatter back before folding all the way into a rounded release.
• •Interlace the hands behind the back and let them fall overhead once the fold is settled, adding a shoulder stretch to the pose.

• •Hands on blocks to shorten the distance and support a flatter back.
• •Slightly bent knees for anyone with tight hamstrings or low back sensitivity.

• ✓Hands return to the hips, and with an inhale, rise to standing with a flat back, head coming up last. Step the feet back together.