The Lizard pose or Utthan Pristhasana is a pose in yoga that has been popular in most of yoga class and yoga pose, or you can read health benefits of ustrasana and how to do it. The pose focused in hips, therefore female probably doing that more often than male. It is also because the pose is a struggle for man. However, it can be done both for male and female with some of patience in doing the pose or you can read benefits of yoga. The pose resembles Lizard as well as the name.
Utthan is in Sanskrit name which means stretching out, Pristha means back of the body and Asana means pose or postour. Within those meaning, no wonder that the health benefit of Lizard pose is in stretching all of the body especially your back. Or you can read benefits exercise recommendation.
Lizard pose is a challenging pose to your hips. It is because the pose consists some of hips opening sequences. It is same as other yoga or you can read health benefits of pilates.
The pose is both in active and passive pose and contains much of benefits. Active pose is for arm balances or also called Yang-style and passive pose called Yin-style or it is suitable for left lowered back leg. Consequently, active and passive pose in Lizard yoga are the prep in some of arm balances, as same as other yoga, or you can read vajrasana health benefits.
Furthermore, the other benefits of lizard pose including:
- Improves flexibility of hips.
- Reduces negative feelings including stress and tension.
- Makes legs muscle stronger.
- Makes the hips and hamstring open or balances arms.
- Prepares deeper stretches.
- Actives reproductive system.
- Decreases excess fat around belly and hips.
- Keeps the core in mind balance.
How to do Lizard Pose?
In order to get health benefits of Lizard pose and how to do it efficiently, you can follow these steps:
- Start with Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana). In exhale, step your right foot forward to the outside (pinky finger) edge of your right hand. In addition, you have to make sure that both arms are in the left of the right leg.
- Put your left knee in the ground while you have to release the top of your left foot. Make sure that the right knee isn’t move to the right ankle, and balancing your weight evenly in both hips.
- Let your weight sink into the hips while you can check in with the body. When it feels comfortable, then both forearms can be lower down. Make your chin lifted while open the chest.
- To make a deeper pose, you can make your left toes under curl and the ball of the left foot pressed up. Lift the inner left thigh actively and the left heel back you can press while reaching the chest forward.
- Keep the pose for 5 to 10 breaths. To come out, put your palms to the mat and make your right foot into Downward-Facing Dog like before. For several breaths you can rest before doing the pose on the other side and get the benefits of Lizard pose further.
Cautions in doing Lizard pose
For cautions in doing Lizard pose are you have to be aware of injuries that probably happen to your knee and hips. You also have to make sure that any of your injuries is fully heal before returning to do the pose and make consultation to a doctor.