Flying Dragon (reminisces the body of a dragon caught in a moment of flight with its wings arching and its tail trailing into the air): shoulder opener, hamstring stretch, hip opener, balancing twist, arm strengthener

Brief alignment: Start from a supine twist, clasp foot with opposite hand while bending the knee and hug the extended leg with the upper arm. Once you have this alignment plant the bearing hand into the floor and lift the torso laterally twisting your gaze in the the direction of the extended so your only two balancing points are the knee and the forearm.

Benefits: Flying Dragon stretches the hamstrings, hips and quads while opening the shoulders, strengthens the arms and integrates all body parts in a levity-ridden balance. The pose engages the whole body and empowers the mind to come up with elegant solutions for challenging situations.

Contraindications: Do not attempt this if you are not an advanced practitioner, have bursitis, rotator cuff or elbow injury, patella dislocation or meniscus tear.