Category

Backbends

Level

intermediate

Hold

3–5 breaths

Type

Asana

Breath

Exhale into the transition, then breathe openly across the chest while holding.

Wild Thing

Camatkarasana — "the ecstatic unfolding of the enraptured heart"

Also known as: Flip Dog

A one-armed backbend that flips open from Side Plank or Three-Legged Dog: one hand and both feet grounded, chest spiraling toward the sky. Playful, but the supporting shoulder is doing serious work.

Step by step

1. 1Start in Downward-Facing Dog and lift your right leg into Three-Legged Dog.
2. 2Bend the right knee, open the hip, and let the right foot reach over toward the left side.
3. 3Pivot on your left foot and land the right foot softly on the floor behind you, knee bent.
4. 4Keep your left hand rooted and let your hips rise as your chest opens toward the ceiling.
5. 5Sweep your right arm overhead, reaching past your ear.
6. 6Press down through the left hand and both feet, and breathe into the open front body.
7. 7To come out, sweep the right arm back and return through Three-Legged Dog. Repeat on the other side.