Relationship to other lying asanas

This is one asana that you must master one day or another since its mastery relates to all the sitting asanas as well as many other standing forward bend asanas.   As Shandor Remete emphasises, if you can do the basic poses with clarity, then the more advanced ones will come more easily.

While Supta Padangusthasana belongs to the group of reclining (Supta) poses, it also belongs to the group of poses that provide freedom of movement in the hamstring, like: Upavistha Konasana (Open Angle Pose), Janu Sirsasana (head to knee pose), Uttanasana (standing forward bend), pascimottanasana (great western stretch), and works at opening the hamstring – lengthening the backs of the legs.   Supta Padangusthasana is one of, if not, the safest hamstring stretching poses, as the floor supports the back, relieving any lower lumbar pain, during the asana.   This floor support isolates the hamstring wonderfully.   I find that in the mornings when my lower back is a little stiff, the doing Supta Padangusthasana opens this area more gently, then other asanas like Uttanasana (standing forward bend), pascimottanasana (great western stretch) or even Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose).    I can often feel the hamstring open progressively near the insertion point with the sitting bones; an area that I can have difficulty opening in other forward bends (particular when I am not warmed up).

Other Supine asanas include:

1. Supta Padangusthasana variations:
     a) prep – one knee, thigh toward chest
     b) forehead to shin
     c) Supta Padangusthasana II and take your leg to the side - externally rotated, internally rotated
 
     d) leg across the body – variation with knee bent for supine spinal          twist
     e) knee bent to 90 degrees - thigh to floor
     f) cradle bent leg to chest
     g) bottom leg bent
      h) bottom leg against the wall.
2. Supta Balasana/ Apanasana (lying Knees to chest) – stretch lower back.
3. Jathara Parivartansana with knees - Reclining twist (crocodile twist) (Turning stomach posture or supine lying twist) - tones the mid-band of the abdomen.
4. Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (upward extended leg pose) is a beginning level inversion that anyone can do safely.
5. Savasana (corpse pose)- deep relaxation - puts the body and mind to a restful state.
6. Supta buddha konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose), for the deep abdominal and inner hip release it provides