Have you ever woken up with a stiff back? Or maybe finished a tramp and felt like you wanted to stretch your spine? This version of child’s pose is a simply way to stretch your back and has the added benefit of stretching your shoulders and chest.

 

extended child's pose

 

  1. Start on your hands and knees. Knees hip-width apart. Tuck your toes under.
  2. Move your hands forward and be up on your fingertips with your wrists flexed down. Hands should be at least shoulder-width apart.
  3. Sit your hips back towards your heels.
  4. Press down in to your finger tips as if lightly digging your fingertips into the ground and then sit your hips back further, feeling your spine lengthen.
  5. To increase the stretch for your shoulders and chest, lightly press your chest down in the direction of the floor, while keeping your tailbone tipped up. If you have quite flexible shoulders, think of pressing your armpits down towards the floor and hugging your arms.
  6. Stay here for a few breaths and then rest in a gentler form of child’s pose, by relaxing your hands and resting your elbows on the floor.
Stretching the spine with extended child’s pose 101

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