Extended Hand-to-Big-ToeSave PDF
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana
oo-tee-tah ha-stah PAH-DAHN-goos-TAH-sah-nah
Strengthens legs, stretches hamstrings
Tones digestive system
Improves balance and focus
How to perform Extended Hand-to-big-toe
- Begin in Mountain Pose. Shift your weight to your right foot.
- Bend your left knee with an exhale and hook your big toe with your left index and middle fingers. Bring your right hand to your hip with an inhale.
- Slowly extend your left foot out and up with an exhale. Draw your shoulder back.
- Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
- Slowly lower your leg with an exhale. Change sides.
Alignment cues
- Steady gaze
- Hips squared
- Do not lock knee
- Spine straight
- Shoulders relaxed
Modification: Keep your lifted knee bent.
Avoid this pose if you have ankle or low back injury.
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More yoga poses to discover
Extended Hand-to-big-toe (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana in Sanskrit) is an intermediate yoga pose that belongs to the balancing and hip openers and standing categories. This asana targets ankles, calves, hamstrings and quadriceps, and also involves abs and glutes & hip flexors muscles. Extended hand-to-big-toe tones digestive system; strengthens legs, stretches hamstrings and also improves balance and focus. Refer to the illustration and instructions above for how to perform this posture correctly. Discover more yoga asanas and yogic breathing exercises in our free yoga pose directory – a visual resource for yoga teacher training students as well as practitioners of all levels. Finally, shop our best-selling Yoga Cards products!
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Discover our best-selling Yoga Cards – professional study, class sequencing and practice guide for beginners and beyond.
Studying to be a yoga teacher? Learn the essential yoga poses the easy way with Yoga Stacks app!
New to yoga? Our Yoga for Beginners pack covers everything you need to know to get started with your practice.
Personal trainer? Try Train - our beautifully simple training platform you and your clients will love.
