Extended Mountain Pose

How to

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms by your sides, and distribute your weight evenly on both feet.
2. On an inhale, engage your quadriceps to lift your kneecaps and lengthen your spine while drawing your belly button towards your spine for core engagement.
3. Raise your arms overhead, keeping them parallel with palms facing each other or touching, ensuring shoulders are relaxed and not hunched towards ears.
4. Press firmly into the ground with your feet and feel the energy rising up through your legs and spine.
5. Gaze softly forward or up towards your thumbs, maintaining a neutral neck position.
6. Hold for a few breaths, feeling the expansion and lengthening in your body.
7. To exit, exhale as you slowly lower your arms back to your sides and return to standing posture.

Benefits

• Enhances overall posture and alignment by promoting spinal lengthening.
• Strengthens the legs, particularly the quadriceps and feet, improving balance.
• Opens the chest and shoulders, which can alleviate tension and promote better breathing.
• Energizes the body and mind, helping to relieve fatigue and stress.
• Grounds the practitioner by connecting the body to the earth through the feet.