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The Lizard pose or Utthan Pristhasana is a yoga move that opens up the hips. Utthan means to stretch out in Sanskrit; Pristha means book page, while Asana means pose.
The lizard pose can be hard on the hips, depending on how flexible you are. However, there are many benefits in performing this pose. It stretches the hamstrings, hip flexors, and quadriceps, helping you maintain your full range of motion.
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A slow, deep, hip-opening stretch can help relieve lower back pain or sciatica, release tension, and keep you from getting hurt during your yoga practice and in everyday life. Balance and flexibility can be helped by building strength in the hips and hamstrings.
The lizard pose also has many mental benefits, such as lowering stress, making it easier to concentrate, boosting creativity, and letting go of feelings.
How to do Basic Lizard Pose
It's done as follows:
- Start by getting into the downward facing dog. Inhale.
- Exhalem and move your right foot to the outside of your right hand.
- Make sure your foot goes all the way to the front of your yoga mat so that your toes are in line with your fingers.
- Your right knee should be bent 90 degrees and stacked on top of your right ankle. The angle between your toes should be about 45 degrees.
- As you bring your elbows to the floor and place your forearms flat on your mat, take a deep breath in.
- Put your hands flat on the ground (use a block underneath the forearms, if necessary).
- Keep your head still and in a neutral position.
- Exhale and press into your left heel to keep your left leg moving. That will keep your hips from sagging down towards the floor. Stay still for five deep breaths.
- When you're ready to get out of the pose, breathe out deeply, and straighten your arms so that your wrists are under your shoulders.
- Inhale, and take a step back to downward dog. Hold your first pose for a few breaths.
- Repeat the steps, starting with your left leg in front, to make sure the pose looks the same on both sides.
Lizard Pose Variations
The lizard pose opens the hips and brings you close to the floor to relieve tension in the lower body. Howeverm if you overdo it, you might need to change things up.
You can spice up the exercise with the following six variations that can deepen the stretch in your hips, work other parts of the body, give you more support, or just be fun. Let's get started:
1) Twisted Lizard Pose
To do this pose, roll onto the outside edge of your front foot, and put your hand on the inside of your front thigh. Apply pressure to the outside of your body to open your hips, and turn your chest to the same side to release your spine.
2) Lizard Pose with Quad Stretch
This variation of the lizard pose is great after a run or workout. You can get a nice twist by bending your back leg and bringing the heel to your glutes.
Reach your opposite hand back to grab your foot (or use a yoga strap to reach) and twist. If it's more comfortable, you can also reach the hand on the same side, with your chest down.
3) Lizard Pose with Foot on Block
If you're already deep in the lizard pose, this variation with props can get you where you need to go to feel more. Put a block under your front foot, and fold back slowly.
4) Lizard Pose Twist with Hand Behind Head
To do this variation, put your hand on the same side of your head behind your head and your other hand on the mat.
Inhale to lengthen your back, and exhale to twist to the side of the mat where your front leg is. In a quad stretch, the back leg can stay on the ground or bend.
5) Lizard Pose Backbend
From the lizard pose, walk your hands back to frame your hips and plant your fingertips on the ground or on blocks.
Keeping your feet firmly on the mat, take a deep breath in to lengthen your spine and a deep breath out to open your heart to the sky. Keep your core engaged.
6) Revolved Lizard Pose
In the lizard pose, lift your upper body up, and reach your arms into the sky as you breathe in.
As you let your breath out, turn your upper body to the side where your front leg is on. You can make a 'T' with your arms, or you can do a backbend by putting your opposite hand on the outside of your front leg. Reach your back arm to your back leg. Keep your core strong and chest up.
Takeaway
Yoga teachers advocate the lizard pose for athletes who want to tone different muscle groups. It can also be done by people with reproductive health issues, as the pose helps get the pelvis and lower abdomen moving.
If you want to get better at yoga, the lizard pose can help you get ready for the pigeon pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) and monkey pose, which open the hips more deeply (Hanumanasana).
