What It Does Releases and opens the solar plexus; also opens the body and facilitates breathing. This pose gives you the invigorating experience of a back bend without an actual back bend. By countering the ab contraction from the prior exercise, this pose helps to open and stretch the core muscles while relieving tension.
How to Do It Start by lying on a mat. Sit up on your elbows, bringing hands underneath your buttocks, palms down. Slowly arch your back, pressing your weight into your elbows and buttocks (not your head), until the crown of your head touches the ground. Breathe through your nose, with eyes open, for 30 to 60 seconds.