The Sanskrit word uttanasana comprises ut, which means “intense,” “powerful,” or “deliberate,” and the verb tan, meaning to “stretch,” “extend,” or “lengthen.” Uttanasana is a stretch of the entire back body, a yogic term that covers the territory from the soles of the feet and up the backs of the legs; spans the lower, middle, and upper back; rises up the neck; and circles over the scalp and back down the forehead, finally ending at the point between the eyebrows. When you fold forward in Uttanasana, you stretch this entire sheath of muscles and connective tissue.
Benefits
- Alleviates anxiety
- Relieves headaches
- Improves digestion
- Quiets the mind
- Stretches hamstrings and back
Cautions and Contradictions
- Lower-back injury
- Hamstring tear
- Sciatica
- Glaucoma, detached retina
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