A. Procedure of getting in and out of Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana:
1. Stand in Tadasana for three breaths. Next, inhale and raise both arms above your head.
2. Raise right knee up and toward the chest, and holding the right shin, place heel up to your left sitting bone and toes into the hip (with the sole of your foot facing up). Try to get the heel as high up on the hip as possible (where you can still be stable). Extend (swing) the knee out to the side while externally rotating the hip and engaging (to the bone) the calf, ankle and quadriceps. Try to keep left leg straight. *Left arm can stay above your head or be to the side of you.
4. At the same time, exhaling, reach your right arm around the back (palm facing up) and try to take hold of your big toe. Once complete take a nice exhalation. If you cannot complete the bind, then do the modified version of Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana (without bind and bend).
5. Take three breaths (inhales and exhales).
6. Next, on the final breath, square the shoulders and hips to the left leg and take a slow forward bend in your hips as if you were trying to reach your head to the ground. Simultaneously, reach out your left arm to plant it on the ground palm down. Stay in this state for 30 seconds while inhaling and exhaling.
7. When the 30 seconds are done, slowly return to a standing posture (feet shoulder width apart and hands by your side) by releasing the clasp and lengthening the spine/ and chest while inhaling to come up with a straight leg. Stay here until you are ready to complete the posture on the opposite side.
This asana involves a lot of leg muscles such as the calf, hamstrings, quadriceps, calf. It also requires for engagement in the ankle in order to enhance stability. Some actions are stretching your shoulder when reaching across your back, stretching your hip by extending the knee down, and engaging your quadriceps and calf (on the straight leg) to gain stability in the pose. You also work a lot on lengthening of the spine and chest and focusing on breath.
