Prasārita Pādottānāsana A: wide-legged forward bend

Vinyāsa 2 - Exhale, inhale
As you exhale, tilt your pelvis forward. Place your hands between your feet, with the fingers pointing forward. The heels of your feet and the roots of your hands are on one line. There is about one foot-width, or two fist-widths, between your hands. Your arms remain straight and your gaze lifted. Take a deep inhalation here.

Vinyāsa 3 - Exhale, 5 breaths
Now, as you exhale, bend your elbows and place your head on the floor between your hands if possible. Stay here until the fifth exhalation.

Note: Press your elbows toward each other against the air. Your upper arms are as parallel to one another as possible. This creates space between your shoulder blades.

Vinyāsa 4 - Inhale, exhale
As you inhale, straighten your arms and lift your gaze. You come into a hold analogous to Vinyāsa 2. Exhale deeply here.

Vinyāsa 5 - Inhale, exhale
As you inhale, place your hands on the rim of your pelvis. Your fingers point forward. Rise upright.

Note: Press your hands into the rim of your pelvis. This creates length in the spine and stabilizes it during the movement of rising.

In the traditional count: Move directly from here into the movement flow of the next posture.

Effect: Prasārita Pādottānāsana creates a stretch along the backs and inner sides of the legs. In this version, with the hands on the floor, the hands can support the stretching tension. The stretch can therefore happen relatively passively.