Knees Down Upward Facing Dog

Lie face down with your knees on the mat and place your palms flat beside your lower ribs, fingers spread and pointing forward.

Press firmly into your whole hand to spread the load across the palm, keeping the wrists strong and the elbows hugging in to protect the wrists.

Inhale and straighten your arms to lift your chest forward and up, drawing your shoulders down and back to open the front body.

Keep your knees and the tops of your feet pressing into the floor, and lengthen your tailbone toward your heels so the backbend spreads evenly and spares the lower back.

Lift the breastbone rather than cranking the head back, keeping the neck long and the gaze slightly forward.

Hold for 3 to 5 breaths, then exhale and lower your chest back down to the mat to rest.