Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana: big toe pose

Vinyāsa 2 - Exhale, 5 breaths
As you exhale, bend your elbows out to the sides and roll your upper body down, beginning from the pelvis. Finally, your torso rests on your thighs while your head is between your shins. Stay here until the fifth exhalation.

Note: Your spine should experience length in this posture. At first, it is helpful to bend your knees so that your torso can relax into contact with your thighs. Only as your flexibility increases do you gradually straighten your legs again.

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

Effect: As a standing forward bend, Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana gives your pelvis plenty of freedom to tilt forward. This makes it easier to preserve length in the spine while stretching the backs of the legs.