 Step
by Step
Bend your knees to a half-squat,
thighs parallel to the floor. If your heels don't
rest comfortably on the floor, support them on a thickly
folded blanket. Take your left elbow to the outside
of your right thigh as you soften your belly.
Exhaling, twist your torso to the right, bringing
your left lower ribs across toward your right thigh
as far as you can.
Slide the back of your left arm down the outside
of the right thigh, bringing your outer armpit as
close to the outer thigh as you can. Keeping the arm
in place, do a slight back bend and draw your right
shoulder back to twist your torso more deeply.
Exhaling each time, repeat these alternating backbending
and twisting movements until you reach your maximum
rotation. Then slide your left upper arm several inches
toward your right hip and press it firmly against
your right thigh; maintaining this pressure, draw
the upper arm back toward your right knee without
allowing the skin to slide. This will rotate the flesh
of the upper arm outward, locking it in place. Once
your arm is in position on your thigh, note the point
of skin-to-skin contact. Try not to change it throughout
the pose.
Now squat down fully, buttocks just above your heels.
Place your left palm on the floor just outside your
right foot. If the hand doesn't easily reach the floor,
tip your torso to the right until you can put your
palm down flat. Maintaining contact between your left
upper arm and your right outer thigh, lean even more
to the right until you can place your right hand on
the floor. Your hands should be shoulder width apart
and positioned on an imaginary line drawn diagonally
away from your right foot angled in the direction
of the heel. Set your fingers parallel to each other.
Most of your weight will still be on your feet.
Concentrate on maintaining the point of contact
between your left arm and right thigh as you slowly
lift your pelvis and shift it to the right, aiming
to bring the middle of your abdomen above and between
your hands. This is not the precise balance point,
but if you get this close you'll probably be able
to find the perfect position by feel. As you get close,
the weight on your hands will increase, while that
on your feet will decrease until they lift easily.
Now put the finishing touches on the pose. Keep
your feet together and press out through their inner
edges. Draw your heels toward your buttocks. Exhaling,
soften your belly to prepare for the twist, then pull
your left hip strongly down and lift both feet up.
Your left arm may remain slightly bent, but straighten
it as much as you can without allowing your legs to
slide down.
Straighten your right arm completely. As you lift
your right shoulder, twist your spine further. Lift
your chest and head, and look forward. Breathe evenly
and naturally. Hold the pose for 20 seconds or longer,
then lower your feet back to the floor with an exhale.
Repeat it on the other side for the same length of
time. |
