Uttana means rising up or elevating, and Pad, foot. Practitioners’ maneuvering is raising feet in this Asana, hence the name.
Type 1
1. Lay down on your back, keep feet and knees joined and both hands resting along with sides of thighs, palms facing floor.
2. With deep inhalation raise both feet joined together without bending to nearly 30º.
3. Raise hands, head and shoulders bringing them together with bending from back.
4. In the final posture the hands shall remain parallel to legs, arms near ears and weight of whole body resting over upper pelvic line.
5. With retention of air in, keep up the posture for 5 to 10 seconds.
6. Then first bring only head to floor and then both legs and hands together with exhalation.
7. Relax for a minute.
Type 2
Perform the posture in the same way but now to 60º leg angle.
Type 3
- Perform the posture in the same way but now to 90º leg angle.
- Repeat thrice and relax for a minute.
- In this posture hands can be kept along shoulder line with palms facing floor. Relax for a minute.
Note - In this way, Uttanapadasana is practiced in three different postures and that makes a set of it. In the sequence, Sarvagasana and Halasna can also be performed.
Benefits of Uttanapadasana – Practice of Uttanapadasana is relieving in constipation, acidity, hiccup and similar gastric problems. It is also very helpful to persons, facing stomachache, biliousness and obesity problems.
