Extended Side Angle(Utthita Parsvakonasana) Pose: Instructions

It might be better, then, to think of Utthita Parsvakonasana as the "Extended Sides Angle Pose." (oo-TEE-tah parsh-vah-cone-AHS-anna) utthita = extended parsva = side, flank kona = angle Step 1 Stand in Tadasana. On an exhalation, step or lightly jump your feet 3.5 to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms parallel to the floor and reach them actively out to the sides, shoulder blades wide, palms down. Turn your left foot in slightly to the right and your right foot out to the right 90 degrees. Align the right heel with the left heel. Firm your thighs and turn your right thigh outward, so that the center of the kneecap is in line with the center of the right ankle. Roll the left hip slightly forward, toward the right, but rotate your upper torso back to the left. Step 2 Anchor the left (back) heel to the floor by lifting the inner left groin deep into the pelvis. Then exhale and bend your right knee over the right ankle, so that the shin is perpendicular...