Prasarita padottanāsana – I

Prasārita means expanded.  Pada means a foot.  In this pose expanded legs are stretched intensely.

Technique:

• Stand in Tāḍāsana.
  
• Breathe in place hands on your waist and stretch your legs sideways   4.5 to 5 feet.  
  
• Tighten the legs by drawing up the knee caps.  Breathe out and place the palms on the floor in line with the shoulders between the feet.
  
• Breathe in, raise the head up, keeping the back concave.
  
• Breathe out, bend the elbows and rest the crown of the head on the floor keeping the weight of the body on the legs.
  
• Donot put body weight on your head.  The head should be in line with palms and feet.
  
• Stay in this pose for 30 seconds, breathe in deeply and evenly.
  
• Breathe in raise the head from the floor and strāighten the arms at the elbows. Raise the head up so that the back becomes concave.
  
• Breathe out and stand in position II.
  
• Come back to Tāḍāsana.
  

Effects

In this posture the hamstring and abductor muscles are fully developed.  In this pose blood is made to flow into the trunk and head. 

People who cannot do Śīrṣāsana can do this āsana for the same effects.  This āsana improves digestion.