** Posture: Parivritta-parshvakona-asana The Turned Side-Angle Pose ** Translation: Parivritta means rotated, turned about, or back in Sanskrit, whereas parsva means side and kona denotes angle. ** Pronunciation: par-ee-vrit-ah parsh-va-cone-ah-sa-na ** Difficulty: (6) ** Instructions: 1- Begin by standing with your feet together and your arms at your sides (see the tad-asana). 2- Take a deep breath and stretch your legs slightly wider than shoulder width apart (about 3-4 feet). 3- With your palms facing down, extend your arms straight out from your shoulders, parallel to the floor. 4- Slowly exhale and move your right foot 90 degrees to the right. Make a 90-degree bend in your right knee. 5- Place your left hand's palm flat on the floor adjacent to your right foot's outside edge. The right elbow should be resting on the outside of the right knee. 6- Extend your right arm above your head, parallel to the floor, and place the inside of your elbow on your ear. Hold for 30-60 seconds while slowly inhaling through your nose. 7- Slowly rise to your feet and repeat on the opposite side, reversing directions 2-6. ** Benefits The parivritta-parshvakona-asana stretches the side of the thoracic muscle group. It helps to strengthen the ankles, claves, thighs, and arms. It's also a great position for toning the waist and hip muscles. This position also strengthens the digestive system, which promotes digestion, increases blood circulation, and aids in the restoration of spinal strength and flexibility. ** Duration/Repetitions: Hold the position for as long as it feels good. One repeat of the parivritta-purvashakona-asana on each side counts as one repetition. Repeat 2 or 3 times.