by David Colello

Created on: August 21, 2010

The side angle pose in yoga is an excellent exercise for stretching out your entire torso and really opening up your chest.  It should be a staple of every yoga routine, whether beginner, advanced, or anywhere in between.  The pose is easily modifiable, providing the yoga practitioner with easily measureable progress markers as they improve over time.

When just beginning with yoga, it is best not to attempt too much too fast.  For the side angle pose, start by standing comfortably on your yoga mat or other soft surface.  Relax your arms and step to either side.  The foot that you step with should extend out until your legs are wide apart but not overly strained.  Raise your arms straight out from your shoulders and turn your upper body roughly forty-five degrees to the side where you stepped out towards.  Beginners will bend their torso down until they can rest their forearm on the thigh of their leg.  Let your eyes gaze straight ahead and continue calm steady breathing.

For those who have performed the side angle pose enough times to feel relaxed while their forearm is on their knee, it is time to take the pose to the next level.  When bending down to the side, instead of stopping when the forearm reaches the thigh, extend the arm downwards until the fingertips touch the ground by your foot.  The opposing arm should remain straight out from the shoulder nearly vertical to the ground.  Hold this position and continue your deep breathing.  Use each breath to relax further into the stretch.

Finally, for an advanced tweak on this pose, take the arm that is raised up vertical to the ground, and stretch it up until it comes next to your head.  Point your fingers and stretch your side by extending your arm as if you are striving for something just out of reach.  Ironically, this is not far from the truth, but soon your body will learn this advances pose as well.

Side angle pose should be worked into every routine, even if only as a warm up.  It is easy enough for beginners to learn, and challenging enough to keep the most experienced yoga fanatic busy.  So find a calm place, and start practicing! The difference you soon see in your posture, the ease of breathing, and the feeling of strength in your core muscles will make all the practice worthwhile.

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