Stand with the feet more than shoulder width apart and the toes facing forward. Gaze directly in front.
Place the palms of the hands on each side of the waist with the fingers pointing downward.
Slowly bend to the right from the hips while sliding the right hand down along the outside of the right thigh as far as is comfortable.
Do not strain and do not bend forward in an effort to achieve the final position in which the right hand reaches the foot. Flexibility will come with practice.
Stay in the final position for a few seconds.
Raise the trunk to the upright position, returning the right hand to the waist.
Repeat on the left side to complete one round.
Practise 10 rounds.
Breathing
nhale while standing erect with the hands on the waist. Exhale bending to the side.
Hold the breath for a few seconds in the final position. Inhale while returning to the centre.
Awareness
On the stretch along the side of the body, on taking care not to bend forward or strain, and on synchronizing the movement with the breath.
Notes
it is important not to bend forward, otherwise the benefits of the sideways stretch to the trunk will be lost. To avoid bending forward, pay particular attention to the position of the hips when bending to the side. For example, when bending to the right side, ensure that the left hip stays back and does not move forward.
Increasing the distance between the feet gives a more powerful stretch to the rarely used inner thigh muscles and the top of the thighs.