Wild Thing

Instructions

1. 1Begin in Downward-Facing Dog, grounding through all ten fingers.
2. 2Shift your weight onto your right hand and the outer edge of your right foot, stacking your hips.
3. 3Inhale and lift your left leg high, bending the knee and letting the hip open toward the sky.
4. 4Sweep your left foot behind you and plant the ball of the foot on the mat, knee bent.
5. 5Press into the mat with your grounded foot and right hand, lifting your hips high.
6. 6Extend your left arm overhead and back, creating a full backbend through the spine.
7. 7Hold for 3-5 breaths, then return to Downward Dog and repeat on the other side.

Contraindications & precautions

• ⚠Wrist injuries or carpal tunnel syndrome — avoid full weight-bearing on the wrist and consider using fists or forearm modification.
• ⚠Neck injuries or cervical instability — keep the gaze neutral rather than dropping the head back.
• ⚠Shoulder impingement or rotator cuff injuries — do not attempt the full arm extension overhead and work with a therapist first.