Seated Fold
Sitting with the legs long, folded forward over them with the spine allowed to round. The whole back line at once, given minutes instead of breaths.
The lesson
- 01
Sit with the legs long
Legs straight out in front, feet about hip width. If your pelvis rolls backward the moment you sit, get up onto the edge of a cushion or a folded blanket.
- 02
Bend the knees — properly
Most people need a real bend here, not a token one. A soft knee lets the fold happen at the hip instead of tearing at the back of the leg.
- 03
Round the spine on purpose
This is the opposite of the halfway lift you do in every other routine. Let the back round, let the head hang, let the chin come toward the chest.
- 04
Hands land, they don't pull
Rest the hands on the shins, ankles or the floor beside the legs. Never haul yourself down — pulling turns a settle into a fight.
- 05
Fold and then stop working
Go as far as gravity takes you, then let everything go. Over three minutes you will sink further on your own. That sinking is the pose.
- 06
The test
A broad dull pull along the backs of the legs and up the spine — one long line, not one muscle. Anything sharp behind a knee means bend it more.