Begin lying on your belly with your forehead on the floor and your feet hip-width apart and parallel, toes extended straight back from your heels. Place your hands on the floor next to your lower ribs, with your elbows stacked over your wrists and the creases of your wrists parallel to the front of your mat.

Draw your elbows back and in toward the mid-line of your body so that your shoulders lift away from the floor and your pectoral muscles spread. Firmly press all 10 toes into the floor, especially your pinkie toes, so that your quadriceps engage and your kneecaps pull up. When the legs are lazy, you tend to sit in your lower back rather than lengthen out of it. So active legs are important. Rotate the inner thighs to the ceiling, broadening your lower back.

Now extend your sternum(breast bone)forward and up, by pulling your hands back, still drawing your elbows in. Your hands won't actually move back on the mat, but this pulling action will help you find the correct alignment.The head of your shoulders draw back and away from the floor, the trapezius(thick muscles at the base of your neck)will release away from your ears, and the shoulder blades will press forward and into your chest, helping to open your upper back. Continue to draw your tailbone down, and keep your chin level to the floor. Hold for 8-10 breaths and then release the forehead back to the floor.

Pose benefits:

Strengthens the arms, opens the shoulders and upper back, expands the chest , tones the legs.