Mountain with Arms Up and Backbend - Urdhva Hastasana

STEPS : Start standing in Mountain Pose. Your feet can be together or roughly hip-distance apart. Spread your toes wide and ground down firmly into the tripod base of your feet.  Inhale and sweep your arms up overhead.  Cinch your waistline as if tightening a corset and hug your navel in toward your spine and up toward your rib cage. Ground down firmly against your feet and grow tall through your spine. Draw your shoulder blades toward each other and expand and open your heart centre forward toward the top of your mat.  Puff your chest up toward the sky and press your pubic bone forward in space.  Hold for a few breaths. Then, ground down firmly into your feet, gather your core, and rise back up to stand in a neutral position.