Shift your weight so it is distributed evenly between the balls and heels of the feet. Lift up your kneecaps by tightening your thighs. Tuck your tailbone under, slightly contracting your buttocks. Lift the crown of the head, feeling the spine elongate. Slowly raise your arms out to the side and overhead, stretching your arms from the armpit to the fingers.
Palms face each other.
Keep your shoulders relaxed. Lift your fingers up toward the sky. Softly focus your gaze at a point in front of you along the horizon. Hold to your body's limit, breathing fully. Claudia Dudley is a certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher with classes at Union Memorial Hospital and Franklin Square Hospital.