How to Do the Side-Reclining Leg Lift

The Side Reclining Leg Lift pose will help your strengthen three parts of the body. It will stretch the back of the leg and the torso and help to tone the belly.

POSE INFORMATION

GENERAL INFO

Name in Sanskrit: Anantasana

Difficulty: Medium

POSE BENEFITS

• The pose will lengthen the muscles in the back of the leg and the two flanks of the torso.
• It will also strengthen the muscle of the belly.

POSE CAUTIONS

All students with health issues should take cautions when doing the exercise.

HOW TO PRACTICE THIS ASANA

ONE

First rest your body on a flat surface with your right side on the ground.

Now push through the right heels, contract the muscle of the ankle, and maintain the position with your foot. (Or stabilize your feet against the wall to keep your body in position.)

TWO

Extend your right arm straight to the side of your torso.

This must seem like you are creating a long line from the finger tips to the heels.

Put your hands on the back of the head for support and notice how the elbow folds. Move the elbow from the torso, stretching the armpit in the process.

THREE

Now move your legs repeatedly to position your toes to face the ceiling. Then, move your body to draw your toe towards the torso.

Extend your hands and hold the toe with your left middle leg and index finger. Hold it firm by supporting the two fingers with the thumb.

For those who couldn’t hold the toe firmly, tie a strap around the toe and hold onto it. Now breathe in, and stretch your legs towards the ceiling.

FOUR

Notice as the body moves backward and the leg you lift up will tilt slightly to the front. This is the likely situation.

Position the sacrum over the pelvis to make things easy. You need to move your leg backward to make it perpendicular.

Push through both heels and stay in the pose for about 1 – 30 seconds. To repeat the process, stop, relax for a short time, switch to the left side of your body, and repeat the whole process.

How to Do the Side Reclining Leg Lift (Anantasana)

BEGINNERS TIP

If you are still unstable with the wall supporting your feet, put a bolster behind you to steady your pose.

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