This posture strengthens the core, back, hips, legs, glutes and ankles. It also helps to improve balance and coordination, aiding focus and stability.

• Starting in Mountain pose (see video 1), exhale and gently squat down to your comfortable ‘sitting position’ (imagine there is a chair beneath you).
• Keep your hands either close to the body or extended out in front of you.
• Lengthen through the spine. Keep your knees together and chest open.
• Gently rotate, so the back of one hand is on the outside of the opposite knee with the other hand raised above you.
• Look up towards the top hand (if you can), before coming back to the centre and rolling back up through the spine to Mountain pose.
• Repeat on the opposite side.