Toe Stand Pose: Padangustasana
Purposes and Benefits:
- Aids in curing gout and rheumatism
- Helps relieve arthritis in hips and in all leg joints
- Strengthens joints, stomach muscle, biceps, triceps, and shoulders
- Invigorates ankles, feet, and knees–especially effective for curing gout and rheumatism
- Builds balance, concentration, core strength, focus, and patience
- Prepares body for relaxation and stillness of next pose
How to Do:
- Remember to breathe
- Begin in Tree pose and then hinge forward from hips while keeping standing leg straight
- Distribute weight evenly through thighs, calves, and all areas of standing foot before descending
- Reach for floor and transfer body weight to hands so that knees are protected as standing leg starts to bend
- Keep standing leg locked, bend down to ground, and focus on a point on floor in front of you
- Once you’re sitting on heel, walk hands back by hips, lift chest, and straighten spine
- If foot of folded leg slips, hold foot with opposite hand
- Maintain balance by visually focusing on floor about 2 feet away and by using core strength to straighten spine
- Lengthen spine by pretending to touch top of head to ceiling
- Bring hands into prayer
- Breathe, stay in balance, and gradually lift gaze to meet your eyes in mirror
- Engage abdominal muscles and inhale deeply through nose
- Finish pose by doing these:
- Walk hands forward
- Push away from floor
- Straighten standing leg while keeping its knee aligned forward
- Once you’re standing, lower folded leg
