In Extended Side Angle, what is the top arm doing as you set the pose?

In Extended Side Angle, what is the top arm doing as you set the pose?

• A. Touches the thigh
• B. Gazes at the feet
• C. Reaches toward the sky
• D. Lowers the arm to the thigh

Answer: (C)

In this pose, the top arm should reach toward the sky. That action creates a long, diagonal line from the back heel up through the fingertips, helping to lengthen the spine and open the chest as you side-bend. Reaching upward also supports maintaining a stable twist and prevents the torso from collapsing inward, while keeping the neck in a comfortable, neutral position. If you imagine the top arm resting on the thigh or lowering to the thigh, you’re describing a variation where the arm isn’t creating that upward reach, which shortens the side stretch. Gazing at the feet is about where you look, not what the arm is doing. So the cue to set the pose is to extend the top arm skyward.

In this pose, the top arm should reach toward the sky. That action creates a long, diagonal line from the back heel up through the fingertips, helping to lengthen the spine and open the chest as you side-bend. Reaching upward also supports maintaining a stable twist and prevents the torso from collapsing inward, while keeping the neck in a comfortable, neutral position.

If you imagine the top arm resting on the thigh or lowering to the thigh, you’re describing a variation where the arm isn’t creating that upward reach, which shortens the side stretch. Gazing at the feet is about where you look, not what the arm is doing. So the cue to set the pose is to extend the top arm skyward.