intermediate · Utthita Parsvakonasana
Extended Side Angle
Utthita Parsvakonasana
Animated Extended Side Angle
Scroll to move from a neutral stand into Extended Side Angle. With reduced motion, the final shape stays still.
Alignment cues
- Bend the front knee deeply so the thigh aims toward parallel
- Rest the front forearm on the front thigh with the elbow inside the knee
- Reach the top arm overhead past the ear with palm facing down
- Spin the chest open toward the ceiling without dumping into the low back
- Back foot grounds with the outer edge down
Variants
- Hand on block inside ankle. Skip the thigh rest and press a block under the bottom hand
- Shortened stance. Step the feet closer to reduce load on the front knee
Extended side angle (utthita parsvakonasana)
Side angle bends the front knee deeply while the forearm rests on the front thigh and the top arm reaches past the ear.
Why it helps
Stress-management summaries on the NCCIH yoga page describe yoga as a practice, not this standing shape in isolation (Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety (NCCIH)).
How to do it well
From warrior II, bend the front knee and place the forearm on the front thigh near the knee. Press the back foot down and lengthen the side body as the top arm reaches overhead with the bicep beside the ear. Keep the front knee pointing over the middle toes and ribs rotating toward the sky. Gaze can stay forward or turn up only if the neck stays easy.
A common mistake and how to scale it
A common mistake is collapsing the chest toward the front knee so the top shoulder rolls forward. Scale by placing a block under the bottom hand inside the ankle and keeping the forearm off the thigh until the side body feels long.
When to use caution
Shorten the stance when the front knee protests. NCCIH flags knee or hip injuries, lumbar spine disease, severe high blood pressure, and balance issues as reasons to seek clinician input (Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety (NCCIH)).
Practice with the atlas
Hold four breaths, straighten the front leg back to warrior II, and switch sides before a wide-legged cool-down.