My kids haven’t made an appearance in a video for a while so here they are in their five and eight year old glory. This variation of padangusthasana is a favorite of mine to teach. The first stage is hard enough but the wrinkle of using no help from the hand of the standing leg makes it even more difficult. This pose works gluteus medius and the tensor fasciae latae of the outer hip.
Padangusthasana Variation
- Separate the feet three or four inches apart and bow forward.
- Grasp the big toes with the first two fingers of the same hand.
- Place the left thumb on the floor in front of the left big toe and put the right thumb onto the right big toe.
- Lift your right leg sideways and up off of the floor about a foot. Don’t let the leg move backwards at all.
- Once the leg is lifted sideways, internally rotate the right leg.
- Do both sides.
Padangusthasana Variation Part 2
- Separate the feet three or four inches apart and bow forward.
- Grasp the big toes with the first two fingers of the same hand.
- In this variation place both thumbs on the toes.
- Try to take the right leg out to the side and internally rotate the leg.
- Do your best not to use the fingers of the left hand. It is easy to put the left thumb on the big toe and simply use the first to fingers to ground the balance. Try lifting the two fingers and toe of the standing leg off of the floor as you take the lifting leg out to the side.
This pose works for me on a number of levels—the forward bend, the standing balance, the work in gluteus medius and the tensor fasciae latae. Lots of good stuff going on.
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