Prasarita C

The shoulder opening here needs to come from genuine mobility, not from yanking the interlaced hands upward regardless of how the shoulders respond. Letting the arms lift only as far as the shoulders comfortably allow, even if that's not very far, protects the joint far better than forcing height.

To fold forward from a wide stance while the interlaced hands lift overhead, combining hamstring length with shoulder opening.

1. 1From standing, interlace the hands behind the back.
2. 2Fold forward from the hips, keeping the wide stance.
3. 3Let the interlaced arms lift up and over, away from the back, as the shoulders allow.
4. 4Let the crown reach toward the floor as the arms lift.
5. 5Hold for five breaths, gaze to the nose.
6. 6Release the interlace as you rise back to standing.

Instead of searching for the “correct” position, notice:

• •Arms lift only as far as the shoulders honestly allow, not forced for height.
• •Fold depth stays secondary to the shoulder opening's honesty.
• •Weight even across both feet.

Ujjayi breath, with attention to keeping the chest and shoulders breathing rather than gripping under the stretch.

The shoulders matter more than the height of the lifted arms here. A student straining or wincing at the shoulder to lift the arms further needs a smaller range, not encouragement toward more.

Reflect after practising:

• •If your shoulders are tight, a small lift with the hands still interlaced is doing real work. There's no need to force the height to match what you see elsewhere in the room.

Rather than mistakes, you may notice:

• •Practice the interlace and shoulder opening standing upright first, without the fold, to find how far the arms really want to lift before adding the forward bend.

• •A strap between the hands if the interlace itself isn't comfortable, allowing the same shoulder opening without forcing the grip.

• ✓Release the interlace and rise to standing, transitioning into Prasarita D.