Читать книгу Ashtanga Yoga - Gregor Maehle - Страница 163

Inhale and come upright. Let go of the foot and hold the leg up away from the floor. This is an important exercise for strengthening the psoas muscle (see figure 12, page 67). This action is initiated by the psoas and completed by the rectus femoris (hip flexor). Due to its origin (anterior superior iliac spine), it tends to tilt the pelvis anteriorly (forward). A tight/weak psoas also has the tendency to exaggerate the lordosis of the low back (swayback). Both of these tendencies need to be counteracted by the rectus abdominis muscle (see figure 16, page 89), which pulls the pubic bone up in front and tilts the pelvis posteriorly.

If the abdominal muscles do not work, the leg cannot be lifted very high. Utthita Hasta Padangushtasana is an optimal exercise for both the hip flexors and the abdominal muscles.