Enter
- Lie on your belly with your legs straight and together.
- Reach your arms alongside your torso.
- Inhale and lift your chest, head, arms, and legs together.
- Point your feet back, keeping both knees straight.
Steps
Support
Abdomen and front of the pelvis.
Hold
- Reach your arms straight back, keeping your hands lifted.
- Keep your thighs together and your knees facing the floor.
- Reach your sternum forward; distribute the backbend throughout your spine.
- Keep your neck long without throwing your head back.
Exit
- Exhale and slowly lower your chest, head, arms, and legs.
- Rest on your belly with your cheek on your arms.
- Breathing
- Inhale to lift; breathe continuously and exhale to lower.
- Duration
- 5 breaths.
Adapt
Adaptations
- BlanketPlace a folded blanket beneath your hip bones.
- Legs groundedLift only your chest; keep your legs grounded.
- One legRest your forehead on your hands; lift one leg at a time.
- Palm assistancePlace your palms beside your waist to initiate the lift.
Variations
- Variation A: straight arms, backs of hands grounded; nasal gaze.
- Variation B: palms beside waist, elbows bent; legs straight.
- Two-leg lift variation: chin grounded, arms beneath body; lift both legs.
Signals of effort
- Abdomen and pelvis support your weight.
- Chest, arms, and legs remain lifted against gravity.