Tip of the Week: Stretch Your Pinky Toes Back

 2015 Utah/Wyoming USA Yoga Asana Champion Nella Holden

When pulling on your flexed feet with your hands during Janushirasana (Head to Knee Pose), and pulling on your big toes with your first and second fingers during Paschimottanasana (Stretching Pose immediately after Head to Knee Pose), focus on actively stretching your pinky toes towards your body. Our natural tendency is to stretch our big toes back towards our body, causing our feet to go out of alignment. By instead focusing on stretching the pinky toes towards us, we are better able to keep our feet and ankles in alignment. Stretching the pinky toes back also helps to engage the outer quadricep muscles which in turn helps to straighten the legs, lock the knees, and bring the heels off the floor. If you're unable to straighten the legs during these postures yet, try stretching the pinky toes back and see if that helps to bring your legs just a little bit straighter.