How To Do Revolved Extended Side Angle

Revolved Extended Side Angle is a standing pose that stretches the entire back, hips and ankles and strengthens the legs. It is a powerful and effective standing stretch. If you are looking for a way to strengthen your lower body and create a healthier, more flexible spine you should learn how to do Revolved Extended Side Angle.

Revolved Extended Side Angle is the next step after learning Extended Side Angle pose. The lower body position remains the same, but the upper body rotates with a gentle twist. If you are injury free, twisting is a very healthy activity for your back. Often back pain comes from stiffness and the neglect to move the back around in different positions. The gentle twisting motion brings blood flow to the back and moves the muscles around the vertebrae in order to create more space and flexibility for the back. If you should slip on ice or a patch of water and fall there is no way to know how fast your back will bend or twist in a different direction than you are used to. If your back is stiff you will get injured. Those who concentrate on practicing spinal flexibility like you find in Revolved Extended Side Angle, have trained their back to move purposefully and carefully in different directions so that if it happens quickly it won’t be a new position and not as likely to create a problem.

Once you place your hands in prayer and twist your elbow over your leg, you will begin to focus on your breathing. With each exhale, try to twist just a tiny bit more to continue practicing more flexibility training. If you are looking for other ways to improve your posture and your back health, try our blog 12 Yoga Poses To Help Alleviate Back Pain.

Here are the steps to performing Revolved Extended Side Angle:

1) From a standing position, step your left foot to the back of the mat and lower the inside of the foot down.

2) Reach both arms straight overhead and bend the right knee to 90 degrees.

3) Relax your shoulder as you continue reaching up and lengthen the back leg.

4) Now draw your hands to prayer position in front of your chest.

5) Keep hands in prayer as you twist left elbow over right knee, pressing elbow against the side of your leg and relaxing your neck as you gaze up.

6) Hold 30 seconds and switch sides.