Upavistha Konasana looks hard doesn't it? Yoga poses come in all degrees of difficulty, and while I'm calling this a beginners pose, because it's a preparatory pose for other asana's, it is a challenging and intense stretch that will help center your mind as you release tension and embrace the pose. 

Wherever you are on your fitness journey, starting to incorporate yoga will bring benefits.  As someone who loves to run and lift, learning some of the foundational yoga poses really helps with my flexibility and lengthening muscles. 

Upavista means seated, and kona means angle in the Sanskrit language.  It's a really useful pose to use as preparation for most of the seated forward bends and twists.

Watch as Kerri McCubben of Home of Yoga New Farm demonstrates seated forward fold, below.  

1. Stretches your adductors
2. Stretches your hamstrings
3. Calms your nervous system
4. Is known to relieve sciatic pain
5. Stimulates the abdominals
6. Strengthens the spine
7. The groin is released
8. Activates your core musles

1. Sit erect and open your legs to a 90 degree angle
2. Point your toes up and align your knees while flexing your feet
3. Inhale deeply and hold for a few seconds
4. Keeping your lower back and abs supported, exhale slowly and fold forward reach your hands out to grab the outside of your feet, while you bring your chest to the floor
5. Breath deeply while holding the pose for about a minute
6. Exhale slowly, while gently coming back upright

1. Remember to lengthen through your spine
2. Make sure that your knee caps point upwards
3. Don't allow your lower back to round
4. Fold forward from your hips, not your waist
5. Keep your legs engaged
6. Move gently and at attentively and allow your mind to open up during the process
7. Only bend forward as far as is comfortable, without experiencing any pain in your back
8. If you have difficulty getting your chest to the floor, try lowering your forehead to the floor first, then your nose, and then your chin.  This will all help you progressively get your chest lower to the floor.
9. If you have tight hamstrings, bend your knees slightly

Let your thoughts become calm, and really relax into this pose, as while it's a challenge, you will also feel really relaxed once you've mastered it. Centering your mind while performing Asana's helps you to get the most from your practice.

Once you've mastered Upavistha Konasana, you will be keen to keep adding new asana's to your practice, and we've given you 50 beginner yoga poses, with benefits, just for that purpose.