Seated Forward Bend

About This Class

Bryan Kest walks students through the full setup and nuances of Paschimottanasana, the two-legged straight-legged seated forward bend. Starting from a tabletop crawl entry, students settle into a seated position with legs extended, then hinge forward from the hips with a long spine before allowing a gentle round and head release. Bryan emphasizes active engagement throughout — flexing the toes back to stretch the Achilles and calves, pressing the backs of the knees into the floor to lengthen the hamstrings, and firming the abdominals for spinal support — while keeping the face, neck, and jaw completely soft and the breath deep and free. He offers a key directional cue of reaching the head toward the big toes (rather than the knees) to encourage spinal lengthening rather than compression, and invites students to bend their knees as much as needed to keep the stretch comfortable and appropriate. A tip about rolling the sit bones apart for extra space rounds out this detailed, accessible pose tutorial.