Seated Straddle: How-to, Tips, Benefits

In our beginner yoga pose series, Michael Taylor from Strala Yoga in New York City, demonstrates and gives us the scoop on Seated Straddle.

How-to: Sit with knees close to your chest. Using your hands on the floor behind you for balance, lengthen your legs evenly apart to both sides. Keep your toes pointing up. Roll your hips and body gently forward, and widen your legs enough to feel some resistance. Walk your hands slowly forward between your legs, keeping the front of your body long and open.

Tips: You can drop your shoulders and head at the end for a nice back and neck release, but try several breaths with your sit-bones grounded and the front of your body open. Lean forward enough that you feel some resistance in the backs of your thighs, but don’t force it. Your hands can also stay behind you for support, and your knees can be slightly bent.

Benefits: Opens the hips, inner thighs, and backs of legs.

Michael Taylor is a yoga guide at Strala Yoga in New York City. (Michael prefers "guide" to "instructor"). He's practiced Eastern movement and healing techniques for more than two decades. He holds a degree in mind-body medicine from Harvard, and studied alternative medicine and psychology at Oxford. Mike is also the CEO of social media company Odyl, climbs a few mountains in his spare time, and is the husband of yoga master Tara Stiles.