Paschimattanasana question

[Guest guest]

Just wondering: when in Paschimattanasana, are

you supposed to keep looking at the toes dristi for

the whole time you need to breathe the 5 ujjayis?

Actually, I am quite good at doing the forward bend

straight-legged in all its 4 different variations - no problem

with that. However, I feel that putting my head on the

shins gives me a more satisfying stretch than if I were

to keep my head up in order to be able to look at

the padhayoragrai dristi. I have also noticed that if

I keep the head up to look at the dristi, I end

with tensing my neck, and my back tends to curve

instead of staying straight - not so good for the back, I

guess. On the other hand, if I keep resting my head on

the shins, which in my view is the better way for

doing Paschimattanasana, I am unable to see the dristi.

How do you do it?

[Guest guest]

The dristi for this inquiry is Yoga Mala.

[Guest guest]

I remember the first time I looked into David

Swenson's "Practice Manual", I kept wondering why such a

flexible guy as Swenson obviously is, never really *bends

down* into Paschimattanasana; it looked to me as if he

were stopping halfway when bending forward. Then it

came to me that he's actually looking at his toes.

John Scott however does bend fully down and rests his

face on the shins - just the way B.K.S. Iyengar does

in "Light on Yoga" - although he tells the reader to

"look to the toes dristi and breathe deeply for five

full breaths." Just wondering actually how he can look

at his toes while having his face down on his shins.

I don't have "Yoga Mala" yet. Sorry. But it seems

to me that you can do it both ways. I myself prefer

bending down completely into the posture, regardless of

whether I'm able to see the dristi or not. Maybe it

doesn't matter? (OK, I'll get the "Yoga Mala".)

[Guest guest]

Perhaps John is looking at his toes only with his 3rd eye?

[Guest guest]

Well, I look at the toes. I hardly know people that do, however. Most of them

look at their knees/shins. <br><br>Thomas

[Guest guest]

Thomas - Thank you very much for your information.

[Guest guest]

I look at my toes by arching the upper back not the neck, and stretching from

the lower back not bowing, like David Swenson. Halasana gives a more intense

stretch to the back.