Reclining Big Toe Pose B

What Does Reclining Big Toe Pose B Mean?

Reclining big toe pose B is a supine yoga posture that opens the hips and provides a powerful stretch for the adductor muscles, groin and hamstrings. It is an important posture in yoga for opening the body, especially the lower body.

In this posture, the yogi lies on the back with one leg flat on the ground and the other extended to the side of the body. The hand on the same side binds around the big toe and the other arm extends out to the opposite side for stability and an opening across the chest.

Reclining big toe pose B may also be referred to by its Sanskrit name, supta padangusthasana B.

Yogapedia Explains Reclining Big Toe Pose B

Some of the physical benefits of this pose include that it:

• Increases hip mobility and flexibility
• Releases tension in the inner thighs and groin
• Stretches the chest
• Relieves lower back pain
• Improves blood circulation, especially in the legs

When this posture is practiced in Ashtanga yoga, it is traditionally held for five breaths, although it may be held for longer in more passive styles of yoga such as Yin yoga.

Reclining big toe pose B is usually entered from reclining big toe pose A, where the leg is lifted towards the sky, then it can simply be opened out to the side. This sequence provides a preliminary stretch for the hamstrings that may make the posture more accessible. It can be a challenging posture for many because of the degree of flexibility required and, as such, it can be modified by bending the extended leg or taking a strap around the foot to extend the reach of the arm.