This is a wonderful shoulder strengthener! It also lengthens the hamstrings and opens the front part of the shoulder. It releases the low back, if hips are drawn high and low belly engaged inward.
To enter this pose:
1- Begin on hands and knees. Place forearms down on the ground with your hands extended out in front of you.
2- Make sure your palms are face down or in karate chop with the pinkie side of your hand down and thumbs pointing upward, to ensure writs stay in line with elbows and elbows in line with shoulders.
*Often when entering this posture our elbows like to move outward away from the body. Make sure elbows are place on the ground right inside shoulder distance apart and wrists are right in line with elbows and hands don't move in toward each other.
3- Press into your toes, and straighten your legs. If your legs don't straighten all the way, that's OK! Allow your mind to focus on hips moving upward, as if someone were gently pulling your hips skyward, and pressing the hip bones down toward your heels. Press into your heels. Do not allow your back to round, so keep knees bent if need be to have a nice long straight spine.
4- Broaden the shoulders by allowing the crown of the head to melt down toward the mat, shoulders will move away from the ears, making them nice and square.
5- Hold this for 5 breaths. You may play around with raising one heel up toward the sky, and then the other.
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