
- To begin, let your stance be hip-bone distance apart, with your second toe parallel to the sides of your mat. Stand evenly on all four corners of the feet.
- Line up your knee cap with the second and third toe. Don't hyperextend (lock) the knees.
- Engage the legs by imagining you are opening a chasm between your feet. Push your feet down into the mat and apart.
- Relax your glutes so that you can make a space for your tailbone to soften down.
- Inhale deeply, and as you exhale, bring your belly button to your spine and then lift it to tuck it under the ribs (Uddiyana Bandha). Continue to breathe.
- Bring your lower ribs back, like you were pressing them into a wall behind you.
- Roll your shoulders back and bring the shoulder blades together.
- Fan your fingers wide.
- To engage the muscles of the arms, imagine you are shooting a beam of light out of each fingertip. Feel the muscles engage from wrist to shoulder.
- Continue to breathe deeply, relaxing the jaw and brow.