This is the fourth part of a four part blog post on the standing forward fold yoga therapy pose. If you haven’t yet, please go back and read parts one, two, and three.
Standing Forward Fold Yoga Therapy Pose Cue 4: Arms Move at the Same Level as the Head
If starting the Forward Fold from Upward Salute, Urdhva Hastasana, keep the side of the upper arms parallel to the side of the face. Maintaining this arm/head pose as you perform the three somatic cues above will eliminate nodding the head or bending the neck as the eyes go from looking out at the horizon line to looking down at the floor.
Once the pelvis has reached its maximum sway and the sit bones have elevated, release the arms from the side of the face and place them on the ground allowing the sit bones to further rise toward the ceiling. Come up from the pose with this first cued movement: bring the side of the upper arms parallel with the side of the face, then sway the pelvis forward, distributing the weight shift throughout the soles of the feet without clenching or grasping with the toes. The torso/trunk is brought to the vertical or upright with a flat back and the eyes track the pathway from the floor behind the heels, to the feet, to the floor in front of the feet and up the wall in front, heading towards the imaginary horizon line.
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