Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana

Sanskrit name: Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana

Translation: half-bound-Lotus-intense-stretch

English name: Half Lotus Forward Bend

Visual Illustrations

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This man is performing Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana (full posture) on both his left and right side, and ending with the sun salutation.



This woman is performing a variation of Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana by placing her right leg on her left thigh and bending forward. However, she does not reach her right arm behind her back to grab her right leg.

Critical Elements of the Asana

Coming into Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana
Getting into the full position of the asana requires a lot of strength. To begin this pose, one must stand in tadasana. Then one must fold their right leg in, by grabbing the right heel and placing the foot on the lower left side of their abdomen, or upper left thigh. Once stable, one must raise their right hand behind their back to grab the right foot. Raising the left hand, one then bends from the hip bones, bending forward. Place the left palm on the floor, and align the fingertips with the toes. Slowly draw one's chin into their shin.

Coming out of Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana
To come out of Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana, one must first look up and raise their chest. Using the standing leg, they would arise from the bend and resume back to a vertical position. Lastly, they would release the right leg.

(This pose could also be done with the left leg.)

Actions involved in the asana
Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana requires a lot of flexibility with the hips and spine. This asana incorporates a lot of actions. One major action is first folding the right leg inward, followed by reaching over one's back to grab the right leg, both of which require a centered balance. Another action in this asana is the bending forward to one's shin, which is difficult because one can be tempted to bend their standing leg.

Benefits/Effects of the Asana

The difficulty and concentration required for this asana can both maximize our reverence and minimize our violence. Physically, this posture allows us to work on opening up our hips and stretching our hamstrings. The physical effort requires both a deep concentration for the binding portion of this posture-which is when one needs to reach across their back with their right hand in order to grab their right foot-as well as the bending forward portion of this posture. One cannot be too greedy by trying to achieve too much in this posture, more than one can handle. An example of this greediness would be the over-rounding of the back which can cause injury to one's spine, and certainly does not maximize reverence or minimize violence. We can minimize our violence when engaging our quadriceps in this posture, drawing the energy in and using the physical effort to imagine our violence retreating inward as well. We can also maximize our reverence by relaxing our hamstrings; the physical effort required for this action can relate to when we need to create space for energy to circulate within our lives. When done correctly, this posture can be a very rewarding experience by expanding our awareness on both the physical and mental efforts that are required daily.

Awareness

Although I cannot do this posture fully, I can put my right leg onto my left thigh and hold it in place. However, I am unable to bend forward without collapsing slightly. In this asana, I feel slightly off balance, for I am only balancing with one leg on the ground. When in this asana, I must concentrate very hard on trying to keep my right knee straight and upward, as opposed to my knee sticking out on the side. In this concentration, I feel more controlled on my balance, and along with the support of both my hands grasping my ankle, I am able to keep my spin aligned in tadasana.

References

For the Visual Illustrations:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNG39OksRsg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Acfm3qDRmkE
http://www.ashtangayoga.info/practice/asana-sequences/primary-series-yoga-chikitsa/item/ardha-baddha-padmottanasana/

Websites for Information:
http://www.ashtangayoga.info/practice/asana-sequences/primary-series-yoga-chikitsa/item/ardha-baddha-padmottanasana/
http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/1246