Yoga posture - Shalabhasana

Lying with the belly, chest and legs on the mat raise the legs and upper body. Push the legs together to engage the gluts further. Point back through the toes or ballpoints or the toes.

Look forward. (If the neck hurts you can always look down.)

There are many different positions for the hands and arms. They can be interlocked behind the back to increase shoulder flexibility or interlocked behind the head. The hands and arms can also be stretched out in front of you.

If you find this posture to hard to perform try it with just one leg off the mat. It is a very therapeutic pose for building back strength and relieving bulging discs.

Deep muscles in the spine are strengthened such as the multifidus,  iliocostal lumborum, longissimus thoracis, iliocostalis thoracisis. longissimus cervicis, longissimus capitis and the iliocostalis cervicis, spinalis thoracis. To raise the head up and back the Spinalis capitis and semispinalis capitis are tightened and strengthened.

Vinyasa Yoga Sequencing and Flowing
Some easy yoga postures to transition from and to:

Bhujangasana, Ardha Bhujangasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Eka Pada Adho Muka Svanasana, Adho Mukha Dandasana, Parsva Dandasana, Chaturanga Dandasana, Astangasana, Parivrtta Bhujangasana, Balasana, Cat Flow, Salamba Kapotasana, Kapotasana

Yoga Teacher Tips
This is an excellent yoga posture for back strength. There are a number of variations of this pose and the should all be performed.

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