How to get in and out of setu bandha sarvangasana

1. Lie on the floor. Bend your knees and place your feet on the floor, heals as close to the sitting bones as possible.

2. Press your inner feet and arms into the floor, push your tailbone upward toward the pubis, and lift the buttocks off the floor. Keep your thighs and inner feet parallel. Clasp the hands below your pelvis and extend through the arms to help you stay on the tops of your shoulders.

3. Lift your buttocks until the thighs are about parallel to the floor. Keep your knees directly over the heels, but push them forward, away from the hips, and lengthen the tailbone toward the backs of the knees. Lift the pubis toward the navel.

4. Lift your chin slightly away from the sternum and, firming the shoulder blades against your back, press the top of the sternum toward the chin. Firm the outer arms, broaden the shoulder blades, and try to lift the space between them at the base of the neck (where it's resting on the blanket) up into the torso.

5. Hold posture for 30 seconds to one minute. Release, rolling the spine slowly down onto the floor.