Hold for 5-10 breaths, then repeat with the left leg floating. This action will help you maintain the balance. Press through the heel, and keep the toes pointing down.Keep the chest somewhat lifted, so the shoulder blades and back are engaged. If your arms get tired, you can bring them by your sides.Your body will resemble a capital letter "T." Tilt unti you make a straight line from your fingers through your back and all the way through your right heel behind you. Bring your right toes slightly behind your left heel, then, while thinking of your body as a teeter-totter, begin to lift the right leg as you tilt the torso forward. Start standing, and reach your arms straight up overhead.Not only does it strengthen your ankles and legs as you find balance on one leg, but it also strengthens the back, glutes and back of the leg as you lift in the back body to maintain balance and shape. This yoga pose tests your balance as it strengthens the back body. Hold for 5 breaths, then release back into your Downward-Facing Dog or Tabletop.This still builds strength, but with half of the body weight. If this places too much weight on the shoulders or wrists, bring the knees down to the floor.Press through the hands so the upper back rounds slightly, and the chest doesn't sink. Draw the navel up toward the spine, as the quadriceps lift toward the thighbones.Create a long, straight line from the crown of your head, through the back and all the way through the legs and heels.(You may have to wiggle the toes back a little bit, and that is okay.) From Downward-Facing Dog, shift the shoulders forward so they line up perfectly over the wrists. It's a great pose to help keep wrists injury-free, however if your wrists get tired, you can lower onto your elbows. Like many poses in yoga, it creates strength in many areas of the body, including the abdominal muscles, shoulders, and even quadriceps. It gives you the core strength and heat needed to build into more complex yoga postures. Like its name, this pose teaches you to be strong like a sturdy plank.
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