Reach and Breathing

In the lifted position, the arms stay reaching upward while the prescribed number of breaths is performed. The position is held while breathing and maintaining foot pressure and pelvic tuck. The forward reach lets the shoulder blades wrap around the upper body to create the upper-back stretch. On each exhale, the arms reach as far as possible toward the ceiling. After exhaling, the reached arm position is maintained during the inhale. During each exhale, the arms reach toward the ceiling while the hips stay lifted. On the exhale, the lower back stays on the wall while the arms reach forward. Each exhale is used to reach slightly farther with the arm. The position is held while breathing with the arms reaching toward the ceiling. The reach and exhale help maintain rib and abdominal position while keeping the glutes engaged. The obliques should stay tight after the exhale and during the reach. Keeping the arms overhead improves abdominal contraction during the breathing portion. The arm reach is gradually emphasized through breathing rather than repeatedly reset. The arm reach should occur while the ribcage moves back into the chair rather than upward. The position is held while bre…