Lie flat on your back on the blanket, with arms overhead on the floor. Keep the legs and thighs firmly on the floor. Stiffen your body. Slowly raise the head and chest and assume a sitting pose. Now exhale and bend yourself further until you are able to catch hold of your toes. You may even bury your face between the knees.

Remain thus for five seconds and then slowly raise the body and resume the supine position. You should now inhale.

Repeat this asana three to six times.This is a powerful abdominal exercise. It stimulates such abdominal viscera as the kidneys, liver and pancreas.This exercise is invaluable for diabetic patients. The hamstring muscles of the back of the knees are strengthened. The spine becomes elastic and thereby perennial youth is established.

Paschimothan asana can be practiced by balancing on the buttocks. This gives more stretching to the leg muscles.

Advanced students practice this exercise without catching the toes, which gives them more flexibility of the spine.

Immediately after this exercise, the spine should be stretched backward, resting on heels and hands and keeping the body straight. It can be repeated two or three times, each time remaining in the pose a few seconds, retaining the breath.