This month, we’re bending toward openness with Wide-Legged Forward Fold, or Prasarita Padottanasana. Wide-legged Forward Fold is wonderfully grounding, calming, and adaptable. “Prasarita” means “spread out” or “extended,” and “Padottanasana” translates to “intense stretch of the feet.” So yes, your feet get a workout, along with your entire back body.

Why I Love It
Wide-Legged Forward Fold is a reset button for the body and mind. It stretches the hamstrings, calves, and spine while giving your nervous system a gentle signal to slow down. There’s something about folding forward with legs wide that invites curiosity--how far can I go without straining? How can I make space in my body and my mind?

Tips for Your Practice

• Start with micro-adjustments. Step your feet wide enough to feel stable, but keep them slightly narrower if your hamstrings are tight. You can always widen as your body warms up.

• Support your head. Resting your crown on a block can make the fold more restorative and accessible.

• Engage your legs. Press firmly through the outer edges of your feet.

• Breathe into the space. With each exhale, see if you can soften your torso closer to the ground. With each inhale, lengthen the spine.

Adapting to Your Body

• Bend your knees slightly if your hamstrings are sensitive. Focus on release, not forcing.

• You can walk your hands behind you or interlace fingers at the floor for more intensity in the shoulders and upper back.

• For a mini inversion: Lift your hips high, keep your spine long, and let your head drop lightly.

February can feel heavy with cold weather and lingering tasks. Wide-Legged Forward Fold invites a pause, a moment to fold in and create space for warmth, curiosity, and breath. Adapt it, play with it, and let this pose be a reminder that openness can sometimes just mean showing up for yourself.

(Photo Credit for this pose: Nicholas_T)