Parsvo means side or flank.  Uttana means to stretch intensely.  In this asana, the sides of the torso are stretched first from left to right and then from right to left.  This pose is often called Pyramid Pose.

In this chapter BKS Iyengar shows 7 stages of Parsvottanasana!  He says: “While performing this asana, one must remember that every stage is a means towards reaching the final position and is of equal importance.  If the final asana is to be effective, one must learn and execute each action as an end in itself.”

The 7 stages are:

Fig. 1     Samasthiti – (Mountain Pose)

Fig. 2    Utthita Hasta Padasana – (Arms and legs spread wide apart)

Fig. 3     Hands on hips

Fig. 4   Turning the feet, legs, hips, torso and head to the right

Fig. 5    Throwing the head back and lifting the chest up

Fig. 6     Concave stage, hands down,

Fig.7     Convex stage, hands down

The goal in this pose is not merely to get the hands to the floor and the head down, but to establish and then to maintain equal length on the front, back and sides of the trunk as you extend the trunk out over the legs and bring the head down. 

Mr. Iyengar gives many good instructions for Parsvottanasana in this chapter that are worth reading. I won’t retype them, you can read them here.  A lot of these instructions you must have heard before.  But there are two of them that I want to bring to your attention: 

1.     Elongate the sole of the front foot from the heel to the toes and the bottom of the left foot from the toes to the heel.  Why are the instructions different on each foot and what are the effect of the instructions on the pose?

2.     Place both palms on the floor (or blocks) and press them into the floor, especially the palm of the back leg side.  Why?  What does that do? 

I want you to think about these two particular instructions and discern their contribution to the entire pose.  It is important to note while it seems that Pyramid pose is a simple, beginner’s pose, the final asana is the culmination of various opposing and synergistic movements which prepares the body for the forward bending asanas which are learned later.  

Through the study of asana we develop the twin tools of sensitivity and understanding.  We use then as spade and shovel to plough the soil of the elemental body from the outermost physical level to the subtlest reaches of consciousness.

He then ends with one of the definitions of yoga from the Bhagavad Gita:

“Be immersed in yoga and work without desiring the fruits of your labor; act with equanimity in the face of success or failure; for this inner poise, or the state of equilibrium, is yoga.” 
(Bhagavad Gita 2:48).

If you’d like to read the whole chapter, click here.