Angelica GovaertOwner/Founder, Yogalebrity · Online Yoga Empire Builder

Learn to Teach Yoga at www.yogateachertraining.yoga

29 May 2023 · 1 min

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The video segment provides an instructional guide to Uttanasana (forward fold) drawing on B.K.S. Iyengar’s teachings. It explains the pose’s mental and physiological benefits—relieving depression, improving cerebral blood flow, and calming the sympathetic nervous system. Detailed alignment cues are given: feet hip‑width, toes spread, grounding through the earth, inhaling arms up, exhaling to fold at the hips, and hand placement on shins or toes. The instructor demonstrates two modifications: a yogi toe‑lock (grabbing big toes) to deepen the fold and using a bolster for added support and relaxation. The overall tone is calm, supportive, and instructional, encouraging practitioners to use breath and props to achieve a state of calm.

Chapters

Uttanasana, or forward fold. According to B.K.S. Iyengar, who was one of the foremost teachers, brought yoga to the West. Uttanasana, or forward fold, can help to relieve depression, helps to bring the blood flow to the brain a little bit easier, relieving the sympathetic nervous system. Bring your feet wide in line with your hips, spread your toes wide, and ground down through the earth. Inhale, reach your arms to the sky, and on the exhale Fold at your hips, bringing your hands toward the ground. Bring your hands on your shins if that feels comfortable. If you'd like, you can grab onto your big toes in what we call a yogi toe lock and just fold forward and let the blood come down towards your brain. Another way I love to do this pose, it's going to relax you and help you get into that state of calm, is using a bolster. You can get a bolster just like this. It