Setting up for the Pose

To get a rough idea of how far apart to place your hands and feet, first lie on your stomach and place your hands directly underneath your shoulders. 

Adjust your hands so that the index fingers are parallel with one another. Lengthen your fingers out away from the wrists and stretch your thumbs toward each other.

Turn the arms so the inner creases of the elbows face each other. Press your palms down on the floor, especially keeping the knuckles of the index fingers firmly anchored.

Let your heart soften down between your shoulderblades so that your shoulderblades draw flat on your back. Tip your pelvis forward to create a small inward arch in your lower back.

Keeping your arms straight and firm, lift your the knees off the floor and stretch your hips up and back to bring your arms and upper body, from the wrists to the hips, into a straight line.

With your knees bent and heels lifted, arch your lower back inward and lift your sitbones as high as possible. Keep the sitbones lifted high and straighten your legs, stretching your heels back and down toward the floor.

 As you straighten your legs, firm your thighs to lift the kneecaps and avoid locking your knees. Lower the heels toward the floor, stretching down from the head of the calf muscles to the heels.

Press your hands down firmly to lift the underside of the arms up, from the wrists to the armpits, so the elbows do not sink toward the floor.

Press your forearms toward each other to straighten your arms while pressing the inner edge of the hand firmly into the floor. If your elbows hyperextend, bend your elbows slightly, firm the biceps, and keep the biceps muscles firm to resist as you straighten your arms.

At first keep your head and neck in line with your arms; once your arms and legs are fully straightened, release your head down from between the shoulderblades and take the crown of your head toward the floor.

With an exhalation, bend the knees and come down.

-- Doug Keller

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