Yoga Chikitsa · Primary · Seated Sequence
Paschimottanasana
Seated forward fold
What it is
Paschimottanasana, the seated forward fold, comes straight after staff pose. It is one of the defining postures of the Primary Series and is practised in several hand variations.
What it looks like
From Dandasana, you reach forward and hold the big toes, the sides of the feet, or the wrist around the feet. On an inhale the back lengthens and the chest lifts; on an exhale you fold over the legs. Each variation is held for five breaths.
Why it is practised
It stretches the whole back of the body, from heels to neck, and invites a calm, steady breath in a quiet shape. Many later folds in the series build on what you learn here.
What to pay attention to
Fold from the hips, not by rounding the upper back. Keep the legs active and the feet flexed. Bending the knees, or holding the shins instead of the feet, is a sensible way to keep the back long.
Who it suits
Practitioners at every level. How far you fold matters far less than keeping the breath smooth.
Next in the sequence: Purvottanasana.
Seated, legs together, folding toward the feet. The spine lengthens on the inhale and the fold deepens on the exhale.
It returns more than once in Primary. The work is the breath along the back of the body, not a race to the toes.
Practise this Primary pose in a Mysore-style room, or in a private session in Dubai or online.
See session formats, upcoming dates and the shala, or book a place with Ashtanga Yoga Dubai.