PASCHIMOTTHANASANA : STRETCHING POSE

Beginners:

This posture is done toward the end of the class to specifically help release tension and inflexibility in the lower back. Grabbing the big toes with the index and middle fingers is the consummate grip. If you were to change your hands and grab the sides of your feet you would be stretching a completely different area of the spine (lattisimus dorsi). However, make sure you use the muscles of your feet to pull back on the outside of your feet because they have a tendency to rotate toward the front wall. If you have tight hamstrings bend your knees to your chest, slide your heels toward the front wall while pulling back on your toes with your two fingers. Make sure to keep a flat back. Be patient, go one inch at a time, and you’ll be amazed how fast you improve!

Intermediate:

Once you’ve straightened your legs and your elbows are touching the floor, I recommend you place a wash cloth over your toes to ensure a good grip. When you start to lower your elbows to the floor, your hamstrings tighten and your knees bend. Engage your quadricep muscles to prevent this from happening. Extend your thumbs back toward your forehead. Once your forehead touches your thumbs, bend and touch the knuckles of your thumbs, then go for your toes, thus giving yourself more tangible goals.

Advanced:

Keep your spine flat and on a slightly upward plane; instead of rounding you are lengthening out of the sacrum. Extend your shoulders away from your head. Lift your heels off the floor so you won’t be able to bend your knees. This will also help with leverage. Toward the end of the pose, lift your elbows up like gull wings, parallel to the floor for a final turbo-charged pull.

Ultra Advanced:

Touching your forehead to your toes is not the final ultra advanced goal.  Biting the toes! I once had a student who could come close and it was hilarious to see her teeth chattering toward her final destination!

from www.tgoetel.com