Now bring your weight onto your left foot, taking care to let the entire foot support you. Don’t roll
to the outside of the foot, and don’t collapse your left arch. Bend your right knee and rotate your leg clockwise from the hip, so that it angles out. Keep the ball of your right foot on the floor, and rest the right heel against the inner left leg, in a kickstand position. Check that your right hip hasn’t cocked higher in response to this rotation. Begin in stable mountain-pose alignment. If you have a mirror handy, look at your waistline and
hips—they should stay level as your leg starts to rotate. Bring your hands to your hips so you can
feel their position.

If your hips are still square, try lifting your right foot higher against the left leg, to cup the inner left calf with the arch of the right foot. This may be a fine stopping point for you. If you want to progress higher, bring the right foot to the inner left thigh, but be sure that you aren’t lifting the right hip at the same time. If you can’t get your foot up there, please don’t choose to rest it against your left knee.

Some swaying is natural here. Remember that trees sway in the breeze, and that’s what keeps them from toppling when the wind blows harder. Come out of the pose while you still have control, and pause for a few beats in mountain pose to notice the effects of the pose before moving to the other side.

Your knees take enough pounding in your training; they don’t need any extra torque here. If your foot is slipping down your leg, push both the foot into the left leg and the
leg back into the foot.

Your arms can come to any position you like. Reaching out to the sides will make balance slightly easier, since your arms can make microadjustments, like a tightrope walker holding a pole. Hands in to the midline is a little more difficult, while reaching the arms overhead presents a further challenge. Your palms can touch in prayer position or be held parallel.