As you bend forward, keep your hands on your thighs until you can touch your blocks. If you feel any strain in the hamstrings, low back, or neck ...YogaPracticeYogaforBeginnersYogaSequencesbyAnatomyYogaSequencesbyTypeYogaforAthletesUttanasana|ut=powerful;tan=tostretch;asana=postureAfteryearsofnudgingmyparentstotryyoga,theysurprisedmeonedaybytellingmethattheyhadbeenpracticingsomeoftheposesIhadshownthem.“Wecaneventouchourtoes!”theybragged.Theystoodreallytall,stretchedtheirarmsoverhead,andwithawhoosh,divedovertheirlegs.Theycrankedtheirnecksabittolocatetheirfeet,andthen,withalastbitofoomph,theysuperstretchedtheirfingersandtappedthetopsoftheirshoes.Havingachievedsuccess,theyflewallthewaybackup,handstothesky,andfinishedwithadramatic“Tada!”Youcanimaginehowadorablethiswastome,theirproudyogateacherdaughter.Ofcourse,Ididn’ttellthemthattheposethey’djustdone,calledUttanasana(StandingForwardBend),wasnotabouttouchingtheirtoes.Norwasitaboutsqueezingoutallthelengththeycouldmusterfromtheirfingertips.Fortunately,Ididn’thaveto,becauseafterthatbriefepisodeofinspiration,theyforgotallaboutyogaandstartedcollectingfrogstatues.Itturnsoutthatmyparentswereprettytypical.Notaboutthefrogs,butaboutthepose.ManypeoplearesurprisedtolearnthatUttanasanaisnotabouttheirfingersortoes—itisaboutalmosteverythinginbetween.TheSanskritworduttanasanacomprisesut,whichmeans“intense,”“powerful,”or“deliberate,”andtheverbtan,meaningto“stretch,”“extend,”or“lengthen.”Uttanasanaisastretchoftheentirebackbody,ayogictermthatcoverstheterritoryfromthesolesofthefeetandupthebacksofthelegs;spansthelower,middle,andupperback;risesuptheneck;andcirclesoverthescalpandbackdowntheforehead,finallyendingatthepointbetweentheeyebrows.WhenyoufoldforwardinUttanasana,youstretchthisentiresheathofmusclesandconnectivetissue.Thisisabigjob.Inordertofacilitateanicejuicystretchandavoidtuggingatyourtighthamstrings,it’shelpfultoknowhowtomoveintothepose.So,insteadofjustreachingforyourtoes,IsuggestthatyouwarmupforUttanasanabybringingyourattentiontothe