 Step
by Step
Lie on the floor on your right. Press
actively through your right heel, flex the ankle,
and use the outside of the foot to stabilize the position
(if you still feel unstable, brace your soles against
the wall.)
Stretch your right arm straight out along the floor
parallel to your torso, so that you create one long
line from the heels to your finger tips. Bend your
right elbow and support your head in your palm. Slide
the elbow away from your torso to stretch the armpit.
Externally rotate your left leg so the toes point
toward the ceiling, then bend and draw the knee toward
your torso. Reach across the inside of the leg and
take hold of the left big toe with your index and
middle fingers. Secure the grip by wrapping the thumb
around the two fingers. (If you're not able to comfortably
hold the toe, loop a strap around the sole and hold
the strap.) On an inhale, extend the leg up toward
the ceiling.
The raised leg will likely angle slightly forward,
while the top buttock will drop back. Firm the sacrum
against the pelvis; this creates a kind of fulcrum
that will help you move the leg slightly back toward
a perpendicular position.
Press actively through both heels. Stay in the pose
for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then release the leg,
take a few breaths, and roll over onto your left side.
Repeat for the same length of time. |
