Uttahan Pristhasana known as Lizard Pose is intermediate yoga pose that opens hip muscles. The pose resembles standing lizard hence it is known as lizard pose. This pose is recommended for those who wants to stretch hamstring and hip flexors and especially recommended for athletes who have tight hips. Stretching with this pose helps to relax and strengthens quadriceps.

Benefits of lizard pose:

When we are stressed out, it reflects on our hips and hip and thigh muscle gets tensed. Practicing lizard pose helps to relax and releases the stress from big muscles. It calms mind and helps to focus on mind and body. Improves digestion and strengthens core, quadriceps, thigh muscles and arms. Helps to open hips, chest and stimulates internal organs. It is also a pose that prepares for poses that require much deeper stretches and eventually a person can sit easily on floor without any pain.

How to get into Lizard pose?

1. Start withTadasana or Standing Mountain Pose mountain pose
2. Bend and move to downward facing dog pose. Keep your feet slightly wider than the shoulder.
3. Slowly lift right leg up into air, to three-legged dog pose and bring the lifted leg front and place outside the right hand.
4. Slowly bring your hands forward and come down on forearms and place both forearms on the mat. If you cannot bring down on forearms keep your hand lifted.
5. Open the chest and lengthen the spine.
6. Draw shoulder blades together.
7. Stretch the left leg, keep the right knee hugging towards midline and right hip and left hip should be in same line.
8. Keep left leg up or if you find it difficult, go on knee. Advantage of keeping left leg up is it gives some more stretch.
9. Now look straight, hold on to the pose for three to five breath.
10. To come out of the pose, slowly come on arms and move right leg back and come to a  table top pose.
11. Repeat the steps on left side.
12. After completing the steps, get into child pose and relax.

Contradictions:

People who suffer from sciatica and lower back pain should avoid practicing this pose. In case,  Dyou want to practice the pose, keep your knee on the floor and use blocks for support.

If you find any discomfort doing the pose, back off and relax.

Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jennycu/33541652323 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)