09/08/2026
Sharing my perspective as a 48-year-old yoga teacher of 20 years.
In a quarter-century of yoga, I have experienced repeated hamstring tears that generally came from forcing my body into positions it wasn’t ready for.
I’ve also experienced what it feels like to live in a body that is extremely tight, and I’ve come to understand that opening takes time, especially as we get older. If you are in your 20s and can unlock a forward fold in a week, be my guest. A slower, safer path requires a bit of patience, though practicing for just a minute or two a day can get you excellent results if you do it consistently.
Clasping behind the legs and then forcing the legs straight has two problems if your hamstrings are tight:
1. The potential of pulling a hamstring.
2. The potential of pulling the sacrum (lowest part of the back) out of alignment.
Instead, clasp with bent knees and a pillow to close the space between the thighs and the torso. You can use a thicker pillow than the one shown here, even a bolster. You also don’t have to clasp if doing so feels painful. Bend your knees and touch your fingertips to blocks, books or a piece of furniture.
In general, keeping your feet outer hip distance apart is more accessible than feet together when working on your forward fold. Check that your feet are parallel; standing with your toes splaying out can pinch the low back.
If you can easily touch the floor with straight legs in a forward fold, then the clasp and straighten approach is appropriate.
In any variation, do bend the knees first to get a u-shape curve in the low back, and maintain that for as long as possible as you fold. Think about elongating your spine up to the crown of the head as you push down through your feet.
Comment BACK and I’ll send you a link to my free low back mini course to help you unravel tension safely. 💗
