Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana Modifications
A Guide to the Primary Series
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2m 4s
This posture can be difficult from the perspective of balancing, hip flexibility, hamstring flexibility. It is important to approach the work cautiously in order to protect your knees especially while transitioning in and out of the posture. Here I offer 3 useful modifications. In the first one use a combination of catching a strap inside of binding the lotus and placing the free hand on a block in order to make the transition into and out of the posture more stable and thus safer. For the 2nd modification you take the half lotus position but rather than bind the lotus go into your pose with both free. It is easier to balance with both hands on the ground, thus you can make sure both hips and knees are even. With this modification you can also work on deepening your forward bend by walking your hands back, lifting the sitting bones/hips and releasing your upper back, neck and head downwards. Use Vrkshasana (Tree Posture) the 3rd variation for tight hips and/or knee injury. For this one instead attempting the half lotus position center the foot as high up the inner thigh towards the pelvis as possible. Balance and bring the hands into a prayer position in front of the chest. Expand the chest, anchor the tailbone down, lift the navel, square the hips and swing the bent knee out to the side.
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