Standing Forward Bend With Shoulder Opener

Stand tall in Mountain Pose with feet hip-width apart, then interlace your fingers behind your lower back and straighten your arms.

On an exhale, hinge forward from your hips and let your clasped hands lift up and over toward the floor behind your head as your torso folds down.

Keep a soft micro-bend in your knees and lengthen your lower back rather than rounding it, drawing the front of your hips toward the thighs to protect the lumbar spine.

Let your head and neck hang heavy and relaxed, breathing slowly as your shoulders open and your hamstrings release; ease the bind with a strap between the hands if your shoulders feel tight.

Hold for 5 to 8 slow breaths, then release the hands, bend the knees generously, and roll up to standing one vertebra at a time with the head coming up last.