Here’s Angi’s take on Supta Padangusthasana, Reclining Big Toe Pose.

Do it in three positions—with the strap around the ball of the foot, then around the arch, then around the heel.

Hold this stretch

Place the strap around the ball of your foot first. Bend the strapped leg and slowly extend it. Pull down on the straps. Imagine that each foot is pressing against a wall. (You can even press your lower leg into a real wall.) Keep feet parallel, not turned out.

If your back hurts, bend your leg.

Make sure your lower thigh is pressing into the ground. If there is a big gap between the back of your thigh and the floor, take a cushion or blanket and place it underneath.

Don’t crunch your shoulders, like Angi is doing here.

Baby Toe Up

Big Toe Up

Point your baby toe up, then point your big toe up. Keep alternating, moving smoothly back and forth. Then point and flex the foot a few times. You should feel the stretch all up and down your leg. Now do your other leg.

Point Toes

Flex

Here’s Angi’s take on Supta Padangusthasana, Reclining Big Toe Pose.

Do it in three positions—with the strap around the ball of the foot, then around the arch, then around the heel.

Hold this stretch

Place the strap around the ball of your foot first. Bend the strapped leg and slowly extend it. Pull down on the straps. Imagine that each foot is pressing against a wall. (You can even press your lower leg into a real wall.) Keep feet parallel, not turned out.

If your back hurts, bend your leg.

Make sure your lower thigh is pressing into the ground. If there is a big gap between the back of your thigh and the floor, take a cushion or blanket and place it underneath.

Don’t crunch your shoulders, like Angi is doing here.

Baby Toe Up

Big Toe Up

Point your baby toe up, then point your big toe up. Keep alternating, moving smoothly back and forth. Then point and flex the foot a few times. You should feel the stretch all up and down your leg. Now do your other leg.

Point Toes

Flex

Grab a yoga strap, and stretch out your kinks with Angi Bloom,  www.yogabloom.ca, a yoga teacher in Mt. Tremblant, Quebec.

ARMS Place  your hands in the strap, palms facing each other, and extend your arms above your head. Lift your head, gently drawing your arms backwards. Don’t hike your shoulders.

LIFTED LEG  Press your lifted leg into the strap and away from your body. Gently move the femur of your raised leg to the back of your thigh so that you feel space in the groin. You can then draw that leg as close as possible to your core as long as you maintain the space you’ve created in the groin.

GROUNDED LEG Keep the thigh on the ground moving downward (grounding your femur) and press that foot into a wall, real or imaginary.

FEET Make sure they are parallel, not turned out. Keep both feet active, toes spreading. Imagine you have toes in your heels, and spread them, too.

Open the leg to the side of the body, keeping the center of both knees in line with the center of the toes. Keep the other thigh pressing into the ground. Try to keep both sides of the sacrum evenly pushing into the ground, although that will not be easy. Imagine that the hip bones, where Angi is touching, are moving in towards each other. Spread the toes, and imagine  your feet are pushing through walls.

Very gently bring the raised leg to the opposite side. Keep your other thigh pressing into the ground. Pause at various spots along the way that feel they need releasing and gently sway your leg, drawing it towards and away from your shoulder, to lubricate the hip joint. Then hold the position and breathe into the sensation.

When the sensation softens, you can move your leg further, into the next layer of tension. You don’t want pain, just “delicious discomfort”—Angi’s signature expression.

Roll over on your hip a bit towards your extended leg, and rest your foot on a block or on the ground.  Imagine that both feet are pushing into walls.

Turn your head towards the other side. Keep your shoulders on the ground, although that’s not always possible. You can always place a blanket o

This posture is good for stretching hamstrings, releasing the back, calming the nerves and improving  sleep. Don’t do it on your own if you have high blood pressure.

Bring one hip close to a tree or a wall.

Swivel the legs up, and lie on the ground.

Keep the feet active.  Push through the heels and spread the toes. To stretch all three hamstring muscles, keep your legs straight.  Straighten the knees by drawing your femurs towards the tree, but don’t strain the hamstrings. If need be, move further away from the tree.

You can do this with or without a block under your sacrum. The sacrum should be evenly pressing into the block to build stability and a strong foundation in your sacral area.

You can also do this with straps, placing one around the tops of your thighs, one a little lower and one just above or below your knees.