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Also known as: Parivritta Parsvakonasana.

Technique

  1. Stand up, step the feet apart a little wider than shoulder width, turning the right foot open to 90 degrees and turn the hips and shoulders to face the same way.
  2. Bend the right knee to 90 degrees, extending the left leg and keeping the foot on the floor at about a 45 degree angle.
  3. On an exhale, bring the left upper arm to the outside edge of the right shin and place that hand on the floor outside the foot.
  4. Reach the right arm over the ear and gaze at the right hand.
  5. Take 5 breaths.
  6. Stand up, rotate the feet and repeat on the other side.

Form tips

  • Keep the front knee bent as you move into the pose, and keep it in line with the ankle and hip.
  • Keep the back foot grounded, or lift the heel slightly to allow space for a deeper twist.
  • Create a strong bind between the back of the shoulder and the outside edge of the knee. Do not allow the arm to slide off the knee to the shin.
  • Use the arms as levers to bring a twist into the upper back by working the opposing forces of the hands pressing down and lifting the other shoulder as that arm reaches over. If you’re having trouble keeping the chest open to the side, reach the top arm straight up instead of over the ear.
  • Keep the hips level if possible by grounding firmly through both legs and feet.
Logging: Work each side for the time indicated.

Muscles

Strength

Secondary

  • Quadriceps
  • Glutes
  • Hamstrings
  • Pelvis
  • Hip adductors
Flexibility

Primary

  • Obliques
  • Spine

Secondary

  • Neck
  • Pelvis
  • Quadriceps
  • Glutes
  • Hamstrings
  • Hip adductors
  • Rectus femoris
  • Vastus medialis
  • Vastus intermedius
  • Vastus lateralis
  • Gluteus maximus
  • Semitendinosus
  • Semimembranosus
  • Biceps femoris (long)

Equipment

Appears in

Other disciplines
Joint movements
trains stretches

Regressions

e0v1

Revolved side angle hand inside

Novice
e0v2

Revolved side angle prayer hands

Novice
w01g

Lunge tap and open

Intermediate
e0xn

Partial front split

Intermediate
e0ux

Extended side angle pose

Novice
e0uy

Block-support side angle

Novice
e0uz

Elbow-support side angle

Novice
Want to log this exercise? Open it in Calistree. Text and images are used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0; the video plays from the original source.