asana: parsva upavista konasana

yogabuch / asanas / parsva upavista konasana

parsva upavista konasana
„sideways upright angle“

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last update: 30.12.2018
Name: parsva upavista konasana
Trivial name: side upright angle
Level: A

Classification

classic: seated posture

Contraindication

This posture is contraindicated for lumbar disc problems unless the back is kept straight.

Effects

Preparation

This posture has two important „construction sites“, the hamstrings, which, if shortened, causes the pelvis to tilt backwards instead of forwards or only slightly forwards, and the adductors, which limit the angle between the thighs. Practice the former:

  1. uttanasana as a generally effective and efficient stretch of the hamstrings to prepare for flexion in the hip joints in this posture
  2. prasarita padottanasana very similar to uttanasana
  3. parsvottanasana as a stretch that goes beyond uttanasana
  4. Head down dog is also a good preparation for the hamstrings when the pelvis is tilted powerfully
  5. hip opener 5 as a very effective stretch for the hamstrings that goes beyond uttanasana
  6. warrior 3 pose
  7. trikonasana

The other of the two building blocks and the actual key feature of the pose is the maximum ( non-exorotated) abduction in both hip joints with simultaneous flexion. The upavista konasana is one of the key postures here; there are hardly any real, simpler preparations with a similarly good effect, especially on the gracilis, but practise additionally to improve the stretch:

  1. Counter
  2. warrior 2 pose
  3. parsvakonasana
  4. trikonasana, also variation standing against the wall
  5. ardha chandrasana
  6. baddha konasana

The stretching ability of the latissimus dorsi can also be restricted, which means that the arm cannot be brought to the outside foot without an excess of stretching sensation in the upper side of the body, in which case all postures with 180°+ frontal abduction and elevated shoulder blade should help:

  1. Head down dog as a general stretch for the muscles of the shoulder joint
  2. Right-angled handstand as a posture that prepares the shoulder well
  3. Back extension, especially the „elevated“ version as a general stretch for the muscles of the shoulder joint
  4. Dog elbow stand as a posture that stretches the shoulder intensively
  5. Hyperbola as one of the most effective and efficient stretches in the direction of frontal abduction without exorotation of the arms
  6. Shoulder opening on the chair as one of the most effective and efficient stretches in the direction of frontal abduction with exorotation of the arms

as well as all backbends with frontal abduction such as

  1. urdhva dhanurasana
  2. dvi pada viparita dandasana

Follow-up

derived asanas:

similar asanas:

Diagnostics (No.)

(231) Shoulder :

In parsva upavista konasana the flexibility of the shoulder can be recognized, taking into account the different flexibility in the hamstrings, also side discrepancies, and possibly there are indications of diseases of the shoulder:

  1. irritable hypertonus of the deltoid: ambitious beginners in yoga in particular tend to develop irritation in the deltoid, which is localized in the area of the muscle origins, probably stems from an overstrain of the structures due to frequent repeated demands in full frontal abduction and is also noticeable in just such a strain, see the FAQ.
  2. Various pathological changes in the shoulder joint such as impingement syndrome, frozen shoulder, calcification of the biceps tendon, which cannot all be discussed here and require clarification.
  3. side discrepancies in flexibility

The flexibility of the shoulder joint can only be recognized in two ways:

  1. Inability to achieve a sufficiently large angle of frontal abduction in the shoulder joint to reach the foot with the hand
  2. Loss of rotation of the arm

Both point to the following point 501:

(501) Shortening in the latissimus dorsi:

Great flexibility is required from the latissimus dorsi when reaching for the front outside foot. If this is not the case, it is noticeable as a clear stretch to the side of the shoulder blade. It is also possible that the arm will only rotate to a limited extent or that the hand will not reach the outer foot despite a flexible hamstrings.

(511) Pectoralis major:

Shortening of the pectoralis major can also prevent the arm from rotating out or coming into wide frontal abduction and the hand from reaching the foot.

(661) Back, flexibility (rotation):

This posture does not place particularly great demands on the flexibility of the back in terms of rotational ability. As is known from various rotational postures, the upper body can be rotated more easily in slight flexion of the thoracic spine than in an extended state, but in this posture the spine is relatively stretched with relatively good flexibility of the hamstrings, but never straight, so that the degree of curvature does not restrict rotation. However, the demands on flexibility increase with increasing abduction of the thighs, so that this can result in a significant demand for flexibility. An inability to place the contralateral hand on the outer foot is therefore sometimes the result of a lack of rotational ability.

(704) Hip joint:

Here a very wide flexion is accompanied by a maximum abduction, therefore pain can be triggered by existing hip damage:

  1. Arthrotic change (degenerative with cartilage atrophy) of the joint
  2. Arthritis (joint inflammation) of various kinds
  3. Dislocation / subluxation, which would cause a significantly increased sensation of tension in various muscles covering the hip joint
  4. Joint trauma, which may cause pain in the joint even after many weeks or months

(721) Ischiocrural group:

Various disorders can be found in forward bending movements(flexion in one/both hip joints), but also under load in the muscles of the back of the leg:

  1. Shortening of the hamstrings, see FAQ.
  2. Damage to the hamstrings, which causes pain or functional limitations, can also be easily recognized here, from simple tension to strains to muscle (attachment/detachment/tear). Tears would lead to a reduction in strength when leaving the posture quickly.
  3. Irritation of the sciatic nerve: irritation of the sciatic nerve, which innervates the leg and foot, can become symptomatic during forward bends in particular, even if they are otherwise rather calm. See the FAQ.
  4. Irritation of the origin of the hamstrings at the ischial tuberosity (at the ischial tuberosities, also known as PHT: proximal hamstring tendinopathy) will be clearly evident in this posture and require protection from intensive stretching, as this posture demands; see the FAQ.
  5. Baker’s cysts create a feeling of tension or foreign body in the back of the knee, see FAQ.

(751) Adductors:

This posture stretches the adductors. This can be used to detect damage to them:

  1. Shortening
  2. Irritation of the tendons at the origins and insertions, which manifests itself in pulling pain with an elongated course. These are insertional tendinopathies, e.g. gracilis syndrome at the origin of the adductor muscles, but also pes anserinus syndrome at the insertion of the hamstrings or the gracilis. It is easy to test which part of the pes anserinus superficialis is affected: if the pain becomes more intense with a larger abduction angle, there is a disorder of the insertion of the gracilis, if more intense flexion in the hip joints has a pain-intensifying effect, the insertion of the inner hamstrings is affected.
  3. Tension that causes an agonizing feeling in the muscles that goes far beyond normal stretching
  4. Tearing/partial tearing/tearing of adductors, which, in the event of a tear, impress with a loud noise, followed by hematoma formation and swelling if necessary
  5. side discrepancies in flexibility, which can cause a pelvic obliquity or pelvic torsion and possibly a consecutive scoliosis, are particularly noticeable when moving to one side or the other. Baddha konasana on the wall and supta upavista konasana are particularly suitable for capturing them better
  6. see the FAQ

Variations:

supported by hand

Head on the floor

with belt

(P) Turn upper body

(P) pull on long arm

Instructions

  1. Sit in upavista konasana.
  2. Pull the right buttock outwards and backwards.
  3. Turn the upper body to the right as far as possible.
  4. Reach the right outer foot with the left hand and pull the upper body towards it.
  5. The right hand can rest on the floor to prevent the upper body from tipping to the side or, if you have good flexibility, grasp the right outer foot over the left hand and also pull. If you are very flexible, place both elbows on the floor.

Details

  1. The upper body should move exactly frontally to the right leg. If, as seems easier, the same hand is used for the grip, the upper body would follow its natural tendency to move out of the way and move forwards between both legs towards the floor rather than frontally towards the leg. Although the grip with the contralateral hand largely ensures that the upper body moves in the right direction, it does not yet ensure that it turns correctly. According to his natural inclination, the right shoulder will be lower than the left without intervention. Therefore, if necessary, support yourself on the floor with your right hand pointing backwards and push the right side of your body back up until both shoulders are at the same height. It is best to place this hand pointing backwards approximately next to the pelvis so that the body can be pushed forward with the arm not yet fully extended using the strength of the triceps. If you have very good flexibility, you can place your right forearm on the floor and reach with your right hand over your left hand so that both hands pull on the outer foot. See the variation below.
  2. Even if the grip on the outer foot becomes increasingly unergonomic with further bending of the left arm due to the wrist bending further and further towards the palmar side and the sarcomere length of the finger flexors shifting visibly towards the short side, because the tendency of the finger flexors to cramp increases, this remains the correct variation because the grip on the inner foot would allow the upper body to move much more inwards (between the legs). In addition, the inner foot is fleshy (muscular) rather than bony like the outer foot and is also concave, which significantly increases the tendency to slip off it.
  3. With good flexibility, the forehead, chest and abdomen can be placed on the right thigh. With very good flexibility, the forehead can also be placed on the floor in the area of the outer lower leg.
  4. It is unavoidable to a certain extent that the buttock of the opposite leg will become a little lighter. This effect decreases with good flexibility, until then the supporting left hand on the floor helps a little.
  5. Relatively rarely does a tendency to cramp occur in the contralateral abduction apparatus, i.e. when the upper body moves to the right leg, then to the left side in the small gluteal muscles or the tensor fasciae latae. In these cases, you can try out whether raising the left buttock helps, otherwise the angle between the legs must be reduced. Changing the position of this leg can also bring relief.
  6. There may be a tendency to cramp in the forearm muscles.
  7. The higher the left hand is placed on the right foot, the more the right arm pulls the foot into dorsal flexion and creates a stretch in the gastrocnemius, which may become so intense that it outweighs the stretching effect in the hamstrings, which is not the purpose of this posture. Therefore, reach as far as possible in the direction of the heel.
  8. As this pose not only has an effect on various parts of the back(autochthonous back muscles, latissimus dorsi, quadratus lumborum) but also primarily stretches the hamstrings of the leg to which the upper body is moving, it is crucial not to allow the knee to bend or the leg to turn out. The knee should move towards the floor and the midline of the foot should point exactly upwards. Of course, the knee joint should not be overstretched.
  9. As with similar poses, it can be very helpful to pull the buttock of the leg to which the upper body is moving well backwards and outwards.

Variations

Supported by hand

Instructions

  1. Take the pose as described above.
  2. Place the right hand on the floor pointing backwards, either at shoulder level to push it upwards until both shoulders are at the same height or, better still, with the fingers pointing backwards at around pelvic level to additionally push the body forwards and thus promote flexion in the hip joints.

Details

  1. For head, chest and abdomen, see basic posture. As described there, place the hand pointing backwards next to the pelvis at such a distance that the arm cannot be fully extended.

Head on the floor

Instructions

  1. Take the pose as described above.
  2. Turn the upper body slightly over the right leg and place the forehead on the floor to the right of the lower leg or knee.

Details

  1. This variation requires very good flexibility of the hamstrings. The upper body still has a tendency to stretch forward towards the foot, so bring the forehead as far as possible towards the foot on the floor.
  2. Depending on your flexibility, the upper body is pressed more or less clearly to the left against the leg. This must not affect the straight position of the cervical spine.

With belt

Instructions

  1. take the pose as described above.
  2. Place your right foot in the loop of a belt and pull on the belt with your left hand until the maximum tolerable stretch is reached in the back of your right leg. Place your right hand on the floor, either at shoulder level to push it upwards until both shoulders are at the same height or at around pelvis level to additionally push the body forwards and thus promote flexion in the hip joints. In the latter case, both shoulders should also be at the same height.

Details

  1. The comments on the other variations apply accordingly. However, no stretch is achieved in the left latissimus dorsi here.

(P) Rotate upper body

Instructions

  1. Take the pose as described above.
  2. The supporter corrects the position of the upper body and turns it so that it moves frontally to the leg, which usually means moving the shoulder whose hand reaches to the outside foot more towards the ground and lifting the other.

Details

  1. The supporter stands behind the performer in a forward bent position and pulls on the margo lateralis of the shoulder blade to the same side as the upper body while pushing on the contralateral shoulder blade with the other hand.

(P) Pull on the long arm

Instructions

  1. Take the pose as described above.
  2. The supporter pulls on the arm that would otherwise reach to the outside foot and rests his foot on the foot to whose opposite leg the performer’s upper body is moving. The sole of his foot lies across the sole of the performer’s foot in such a way that he reduces the performer’s tendency to turn his leg out. At the same time, he has a good view of the shoulder area and can recognize when both shoulders are not at the same height.

Details

  1. The comments on the other variations apply accordingly.