Step-By-Step

Materials Needed

• Yoga mat

Additional Materials Needed for Modified Version

• A wall

Step-by-step instructions

1. Kneel down on your mat.
1. For the modified version make sure the wall is behind you
2. Lace your fingers together tightly and create a baseball sized space between your palms.  The angle formed by this should be roughly 90 degrees.  Place them on the mat in front of you and actively press down.  This makes a solid foundation.
3. Place the back of your head against the open space between your palms.  Elbows should be flexed to be a little less than 90 degrees.  Engage the core muscles like you would in tadasana.  Keep your neck and back extended.
4. Inhale and flex your hips so that you are now in a downward dog position.  Keep your quadriceps engaged and your knees extended.
5. From here you can walk your feet towards your head or flex your knees and make a little jump before extending your knees and hips so they are aligned perpendicularly to the floor.  Feet should be dorsiflexed.
1. If you are doing the modified version,  walk your feet up the wall until your back is fully extended and perpendicular to the floor.  Your hips should remain flexed at 90 degrees.
6. Hold this pose for a few seconds if you are a beginner.  When getting out of this positon, slowly flex your knees and hips.  Set your feet down on ground so you are in a downward dog position again.
7. Go into child's pose and rest.

Throughout this pose, most of the weight should remain on your forearms.