Blogpost: The Magic Of A Simple Forward Fold

One of my favorite yoga teachers once told the class that forward fold was the healthiest yoga pose of them all.

Why? Well, he had no idea, but one of his favorite teachers had told him so. So, out of curiosity, he started practicing seated forward fold (paschimottanasana) every single day, and — sure enough- his back pain disappeared!

I am someone who always likes to explore the reasons behind how and why certain things work. This is what I found out about forward folds while reading through one of my yoga books from India (of course, this isn’t medical advice. Listen to your body and speak to your health professional if you’re not sure if practicing yoga would be good for you).

Forward folds use the power of gravity to gently release tension and pain. Practicing the different variations of forward fold can loosen the back by creating space between the vertebrae, thus stimulating the nerves. This, in turn, nourishes the spinal cord and improves the circulation around the spine. Furthermore, this impacts the organs, especially the brain, positively.

Aside from loosening the back, the pose also stretches the leg muscles and tendons and benefits the abdominal organs (liver, kidneys, pancreas, and intestines) by compressing and massaging them.

On an emotional or spiritual level, forward folds are associated with bowing forward and being humble. Apparently, anxiety often correlates with difficulty in practicing forward bends, due to stiffness in the back and the fear of letting go of control and surrender.

So, even though it might not always feel like it, there’s actually a lot going on in these simple forward folds.

If you are still brand-new to yoga, I’d recommend starting with the easier variations of forward folds (mainly standing forward fold and seated forward fold) and working your way up to more advanced variations over time.

The first tip, like so often in yoga, is to not overdo forward folds. You will want to balance forward folds out with backbends for good practice.

Most importantly, hinge from your hips (not your waist) to make your way into your forward fold. Your feet should be apart a little bit. If you have to bend your knees, that’s totally fine! Again, hinging from the hips (think: belly to thighs and not fingers to toes) is what you’ll want to focus on. You can squeeze a sock in between your hip and belly to get a better sense of the correct alignment.

Allow gravity and your exhalations to gently deepen the pose, instead of pressing yourself into it.

There you have it: A simple explanation of why forward folds are considered to be such beneficial yoga poses. Feel free to comment your favorite variation of forward fold (mine is definitely seated, one-legged forward fold) or favorite yoga pose in general down below :)

📚 Sources:

Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha (2013 Golden Jubilee edition) by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, p. 220f.