From a seated position with legs in front of you, lay down.
Take the legs up and over, keeping the feet together.
Extend the arms behind your back and interlace the fingers.
Bend the knees to bring them towards the ears.
Keep the feet together.
To come up, release the arms and rock up.
Form tips
Extend the spine up by reaching the sit bones towards the ceiling
Take the chin away from the chest to put weight on the back of the head rather than on your neck.
If your shoulders are not open enough to interlace the fingers behind the back, or if you need support to stay in the pose, try the hand-supported version.
Risks
If the shoulders are not sufficiently elevated, the weight of the torso can put pressure on the neck.
You can place a folded blanket under the shoulders to allow the neck to hang freely and avoid direct pressure on the cervical spine