I started folding forward in ardha baddha padmottanasana four months ago. I initially found it very difficult with the balance, strength and flexibility required to even get my hand on the floor. Just when I thought I was making some progress with this asana, it was pointed out to me that I was not correctly aligned.

The problem is mostly on the first side of this asana, where the left leg is straight and the right leg is in half lotus. When folded forward, I’m dropping the right hip and twisting it to the back of the mat. When I try to square the hip by lifting and removing the twist, it feels very odd on my left leg, particularly in the hip and buttock area. Balance is a real struggle at this stage and I’ve had to release the bound arm to steady myself.

On a positive note, navasana with straight legs is coming along nicely. In the last practice, I managed to get four navasanas with straight legs and only the fifth one had bent knees. Mind you, the fourth one was sagging pretty badly, but I held onto it.