User:Xenja/Purvottanasana

Purvottanasana (Sanskrit पूर्वोत्तानासन, IAST pūrvottānāsana), English inclined plane, is an exercise in yoga. Depending on the type of yoga, it is also referred to as inverted plank pose or front body stretch. The Sanskrit name pūrvottānāsana is formed from the words pūrva "east"., , uttāna "to stretch intensively" and āsana "seat" or more generally translated as "posture." It can be literally translated as "posture of the intense expansion of the east." According to Indian tradition, the east refers to the front of the body.

Purvottanasana is part of the first series in Ashtanga Yoga. Although it is not included in the so-called Rishikesh series attributed to Swami Sivananda, the inclined plane is often performed in the practice style of his tradition after the forward bend exercise Pashchimottanasana “head-to-knee pose.”

In the older writings on Hatha Yoga, namely in the Hathapradipika (written in the 14th century) and in the Gherandasamhita (probably from the 17th century century), this yoga exercise is not mentioned.