1. Start by sitting with both legs straight in front of you. Then pull your right foot onto the inside of the left knee or place the right heel onto the perineum. The classical method is to place the right heel onto the perineum. Simultaneously the left foot should be pointing vertically while pushing the back of the left hamstring onto the floor.
2. Place your left hand onto the left quad, knee or shin. While simultaneously place the right hand onto the floor space inside of the left leg.
3. Then breathe in arch and look up. Point your chin up as you look up while rotating the lower chest towards the ceiling. At the same time the hands should remain fixed on the original point that they were placed on.
4. When you perform step 3 the spine will bend backwards. At the same time the buttocks should rotate away from the left leg.
5. Then breathe out and relax forward. After relaxing forward walk your hands forward.
6. Fix the hands on their new location and then continue to repeat step 3 through 5. Once you arrive at the maximum point forward hold the hand positions or wrap your hands around the left foot.
7. If you do not arrive completely forward then just hold where you feel comfortable. When you are finished breathe in while lifting your chin and chest first which will sit you up with a straight back. Then switch sides.