Standing Forward Bend for Beginners: Padahastasana

Stand upright, feet together. Breathing in deeply, raise the hands high overhead, palms forward, the upper arms covering the ears. Exhaling and keeping the legs locked at the knees, bend forward from the waist and grasp, according to suppleness, either the ankles or the legs above the ankles. Press the forehead towards the knees. Stay in the folded-over position for six seconds; then slowly return to upright, breathing in.

Regular practice brings increasing suppleness. The nervous system is toned, the spine stretched and limbered, the abdominal organs are massaged, the legs firmed and toned, and the hamstrings at the backs of the thighs loosened. The facial tissues and scalp are nourished with an additional supply of blood.