Lying down is easy and relaxing – it’s also a pose where the mind can wander or we might doze. In Tao Yoga we practice keeping a relaxed and alert awareness in this pose by paying attention to alignments. The feet and the knees are hip-width apart;the pelvis and the torso are relaxed, the legs should have a sense of growing out of the torso; the midriff lengthens from the pelvis the the bottom of the ribs, the spine lengthens toward the head, and there is still a sense of lift of the skull from the top of the spine, the face, the front of the throat and chest relax.

Next you can place your hands on your belly and feel the rhythm of your breathing, as the belly rises slightly on the inhale, and relaxes back down on the exhale. It is helpful to spend a few minutes just feeling and watching your breath.

When you move to the next stage of lifting the pelvis, first press your feet gently into the floor – feel how this action naturally begins to lift the tailbone up and toward the feet; maintaining as much relaxation in the body and breath as you can, continue the lift of the pelvis, allowing the back of the body to lengthen as you lift, almost as though your back body is like a hammock stretching and lifting you up.