Upward Facing Two-Foot Staff Pose

Instructions

1. 1Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. 2Place your hands flat on the mat beside your ears, fingers pointing toward your shoulders.
3. 3Press firmly through your feet and hands as you lift your hips and chest off the floor.
4. 4Straighten your arms and legs fully, arching your spine into a deep backbend.
5. 5Draw your shoulder blades together and let your head release gently between your arms.
6. 6Breathe steadily, keeping your thighs parallel and your core lightly engaged.
7. 7To release, tuck your chin and lower slowly, vertebra by vertebra, back to the floor.

Contraindications & precautions

• ⚠Wrist or shoulder injury — the full weight on the hands can aggravate inflammation or instability in these joints.
• ⚠Lower back problems or herniated discs — the intense lumbar extension places significant compression on the spine.
• ⚠High blood pressure or glaucoma — inverting the head below the heart increases intracranial pressure.