** Posture: Hasta-pada-angusta-asana The Hand-Foot-Big Toe Pose ** Translation: This is the hand-foot-big toe stance, since hasta means hand, pada means foot, and angusta means big toe in Sanskrit. ** Pronunciation: ha-sta-pah-don-goo-stah-sa-na ** Difficulty: (3) ** Instructions: 1- Sit on the floor with your legs crossed and straight out in front of you. Maintain a straight back, level shoulders, and a level head. Place your hands flat on top of your thighs, palms down. 2- Spread your legs as wide as you can without bending your knees. 3- Place the bottom of the left foot against the inner left thigh by bending the left knee. Bring the left heel as near as possible to the perineum. Keep your left knee firmly planted on the ground. 4- Stretch both arms straight out in front of you, then move gently at the waist toward the right, aligning the arms with the right leg while maintaining the back straight. 5- Slowly inhale while lifting your arms above your head and arching your spine. 6- Exhale softly as you lean forward, bringing your chest to your right thigh. Clasp the big toe of the right foot with both hands' initial fingers. Hold this position for as long as the exhaled breath lasts. 7- Sit up straight and inhale deeply through the nostrils, relaxing the posture. 8- Return to the sitting position indicated in step 2 by straightening the left leg, then repeat the posture, this time bending the right leg. ** benefits The hasta-pada-angusta-asana provides comparable advantages to the ugra-asana (spinal stretch, abdominal toning, and gastro-intestinal stimulation). The extended leg, as well as the groin, receive further stretching. Repeat two or three times on each leg for a total of two or three repetitions.