Step-1 Begin by standing in TADASANA (Mountain Pose), hands in Anjali Mudra (prayer position). Take a moment to ground your feet, still your eyes, and connect with your breath. BREATHE NORMALLY.
Step-2 INHALE and sweep your arms over your head to URDHVA HASTASANA (Raised Arm Pose). Reach upwards and lengthen your body.
Step-3 EXHALE, draw the belly back and tighten your thigh muscles, soften your knees slightly and fold forward into UTTANASANA (Forward Fold), placing each palm on the floor beside each foot.
Step-4 INHALE and lift your torso into ARDHA UTTANASANA (Half Forward Fold). Keep your spine straight, draw your belly in and upwards (to protect your back). Lift your head slightly and fix your gaze on the floor in front of you, keeping the back of your neck straight.
Step-5 EXHALE, bend the knees and step the right leg back into a (High lunge pose). Tighten your right thigh, draw the left hip slightly back and keep the spine long.
Step-6 INHALE / HOLD YOUR BREATH, with your palms on the floor, step the left leg back to join the right into UTTITHA CHATURANGA DANDASANA (The High Plank pose). Your elbows should be straight and your wrists must be aligned beneath the shoulders.
Step-7 EXHALE, lowering halfway down to the floor into CHATURANGA DANDASANA (the Four-Limbed Staff pose or Low Plank pose)
Step-8 INHALE and roll forward and upwards into Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana). Press the hands into the floor, shine your heart up and out and roll the shoulders down the back.
INHALE – URDHVA MUKHA SVANASANA (Upward-Facing Dog Pose): This is quite a powerful backbend. Keep your torso and thighs completely off the floor. Stretch your elbows completely, balancing your body on the palms and toe tips.
Alternative – Cobra pose
Alternatively – keep the elbows bent and come into Cobra pose, drawing the hands energetically back towards the waist and lifting the chest forwards and upwards. In both versions – Upward Facing Dog and Cobra – try to keep the back of the neck long.
Step-9 EXHALE, draw the belly in and up and press back into Downward Dog (AdhoMukha Svanasana). Ground your hands and feet into the floor, press the tops of the thighs back and extend the whole spine. Take three long, deep breaths…
Downward facing dog
EXHALE – ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA (Downward Facing Dog Pose): Try to keep your feet separated at a hip distance. Push your heels towards the ground and simultaneously rotate the hips towards the ceiling. Keeping the palms spread and wrists stacked under the shoulder could help in getting the alignment correct.
Step-10 INHALEand step the right foot forward to your right thumb, returning to a High Lunge
Step-11 EXHALE, step the left foot forward to join the right and return to UTTANASANA (Standing Forward Fold)
Step-12 INHALE, ground through the feet, soften the knees a little, firm the belly, and sweep the arms out and up, returning to URDHVA HASTASANA (Raised Arm Pose)
Step-13 Exhale, press the palms lightly together, into Anjali Mudra (prayer position), and return to TADASANA (Mountain Pose). Take a few moments to center and reconnect to your breath before doing the whole sequence on the other side.