This is one of my favorite poses. When doing this pose you should feel as if you are opening your heart up to the world. This pose can make you feel brave, happy and vulnerable all in the same moment.
FOUNDATION
- Lay on your belly and un-tuck your toes so the tops of your feet are resting on the floor
- Position your hands under your shoulders, spreading the fingers wide
- From here you want to pull yourself forward through your hands and lift the chest up until the shoulders are stacked over the wrists
- Keep pulling your shoulders down your back away from your ears
- Keep the legs straight and push down through the tops of your feet
- Make sure you don’t lock your knees
- Imagine your chest shining out through your shoulders rather than crunching down into your lower back
- The knees and pelvis should be lifting up off the floor
- Keep the core switched on by pulling the belly button to the spine, this protects the lower back and also takes the pressure off the shoulders
BREATH
- Exhale down through your chaturanga and inhale up to your upward dog
BENEFITS
- Has a nurturing effect on depression and fatigue
- Improves posture by strengthening your spine
- Can be known to relieve symptoms of asthma by increasing lung capacity
Sammy Veall owns and runs Yoga 213 with studios in Bondi Junction, Sydney and South Yarra, Melbourne.
Photography by Deanna Geralch
