Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana or Bound Lotus Forward Fold stretches the muscles in the hip, hamstrings, and shoulders. Standing on one foot increases your balance while building strength in the muscles of the foot, ankle, and leg. The pressure of the foot on the abdomen as you fold forward massages your internal organs. Let’s take a look at this pose so you can practice it at home.
Bound Lotus forward fold is a fun pose, but be careful with your folding knee to assure you don’t tweek it.
Start from standing and bring your right foot into half lotus. The folded knee points down.
Reach your right hand behind your back to hold the top of the right foot. When entering the pose aim the top of your right foot at your LEFT hip crease.
Be sure to fully rotate your hips to free space in the pelvis to create room for the bind and fold forward.
Once you have the half lotus bind, stabilize your standing leg and fold forward with an exhale. Draw in your abdomen and lift your sit bones.
After folding, place your left hand firmly on the floor right next to the left foot and align fingernails with toenails.
Equalize your hips while you reach your chin to the left shin.
If you can’t get the bind yet, no worries, place both hands on the floor.
Check out Kino MacGreagors YOUTUBE video (2:27min) below as you work this asana. The video is well worth the two minutes!
By Dr. Bruce E. Barkus
Dr. Bruce E. Barkus came to yoga, like most people, to become more flexible, get stronger and reduce stress. Low and behold he fell in love with all the other benefits yoga provides. He has been very consistent with a daily practice for the last eleven years and has come to look at it as part of his daily routine. Bruce’s certifications are Yoga Alliance RYT 500 through Asheville Yoga Center and 500 hours of Ashtanga Training for teachers with Miami Life Center. He teaches Ashtanga at Level Yoga in Vero Beach Florida and at Asheville Yoga Center. Over time, his students started asking for more details on poses and the benefits of a daily practice, so he started doing the pose of the week. There have been many that have guided his yoga practice, including Kino MacGregor, Tim Feldmann, Doug Keller, David Keil, Manju Jois, Stephanie Keach, and Lewis Rothlein. The poses he shares are primarily from the Ashtanga Primary Series as he finds the basic postures build a solid foundation for all the advanced poses.
