Bend to Left Leg with Rotation

How to do Bend to Left Leg with Rotation

1. 1Sit in Dandasana, extend your left leg out diagonally, and bend your right knee, drawing your right heel snugly into your inner left groin.
2. 2Ground evenly through both sitting bones and flex your left foot to keep the extended leg active with the kneecap pointing upward.
3. 3Inhale your right arm straight up toward the ceiling, creating maximum space along the right side of your waist.
4. 4Exhale and side-bend to your left, resting your left forearm or the back of your hand inside the left calf or foot.
5. 5Reach your top right arm up and over your right ear toward your left toes, spinning your chest and gaze upward beneath your right armpit.
6. 6If accessible, hold your outer left foot with your top right hand and the inner left foot with your bottom left hand.
7. 7Keep your right sitting bone rooted into the mat while continuously revolving your belly and heart toward the ceiling.
8. 8To exit, release the foot, inhale to slowly unwind the torso back to center, and pause before switching sides.

Benefits

• Stretches the hamstrings and inner groin of the extended leg
• Lengthens the quadratus lumborum and side waist muscles
• Expands the ribcage and stretches the intercostal muscles
• Massages abdominal organs through gentle rotational compression
• Increases mobility and rotational freedom in the thoracic spine
• Relieves muscular tension along the lateral spine and shoulders

Common mistakes and cues

• Collapsing the chest

  Avoid rounding your torso forward toward the floor; focus on rolling your top ribs back to keep your heart open.

• Lifting the opposite hip

  Anchor your right sitting bone firmly into the mat so the stretch remains focused in the lateral spine and hip.

• Forcing the foot grab

  Do not compromise spinal length just to touch the toes; use a strap or hold the calf instead.

• Straining the neck

  If looking up strains your cervical spine, turn your gaze forward or gently down toward the floor.

• Hyperextending the extended knee

  Maintain an active micro-bend in the extended knee to protect the joint and hamstring tendon.

Modifications and props

• Use a strap

  Loop a yoga strap around the sole of your extended left foot to maintain arm extension without collapsing your chest.

• Sit on a folded blanket

  Elevate your hips on a folded blanket or bolster if your pelvis tilts backward or your hamstrings feel tight.

• Rest forearm on a block

  Place a yoga block inside the extended left thigh or calf to support your bottom arm comfortably.

• Bend the extended knee

  Place a rolled blanket under the extended left knee to ease hamstring tension and prevent joint strain.

Cautions

• Acute lower back injury

  Avoid deep lateral twisting if you have acute disc herniations, sciatica flare-ups, or sacroiliac joint instability.

• Hamstring tears

  Approach gently and keep a pronounced bend in the extended knee if recovering from a hamstring strain.

• Shoulder impingement

  Rest your top hand on your hip rather than reaching overhead if you experience pinching in the shoulder joint.

If you are working with an injury, pregnancy or a medical condition, check with a qualified professional before practising this pose.

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