Enter
- Start in Mountain Pose, big toes touching and heels slightly apart.
- Inhale and raise your straight arms overhead, palms facing each other.
- Align your arms with your ears; keep your wrists straight.
Steps
Support
Both soles and heels; no weight on your hands.
Hold
- Keep your legs firm and weight evenly distributed across both feet.
- Let your shoulder blades rotate upward and wrap around your ribs.
- Lengthen both sides of your torso evenly.
Exit
- Exhale and lower your arms to return to Mountain Pose.
- Breathing
- Inhale to raise; exhale to lower; breathe normally.
- Gaze
- Look forward with your head upright.
- Duration
- Several breaths.
Adapt
Adaptations
- Feet apartPlace your feet hip-width apart, parallel to each other.
- V-shaped armsWiden your arms; adjust their height and bring them forward if needed.
- On a chairSit upright, ground both feet, and raise your arms.
- Strap above the elbowsPlace a shoulder-width loop around your arms, just above your elbows.
Variations
- Ūrdhva Namaskārāsana: join your palms overhead.
- Interlaced fingers: turn palms upward and alternate the interlace.
- Palm Tree: interlace fingers, palms upward; lift your heels.
Signals of effort
- Arms overhead and elbows extended throughout the hold.
- Palm Tree variation: weight on your forefeet with your heels lifted.