To Perform the Floor Angle Stretch:

1. Begin on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the mat. Position your arms on the floor beside you with the elbows bent and palms facing the ceiling (figure 1).
   
   
2. From this position, slide the arms up overhead until you feel a stretch in the chest, shoulders, or upper back. Hold the stretch for 1-2 seconds (figure 2).
   
   
3. NOTE: To ensure proper form throughout this movement, do not allow the lower back to arch, or the elbows or hands to lose contact with the floor. To ensure proper form, it is helpful to push the lower back into the mat by performing a posterior pelvic tilt, and holding this position throughout the entire movement.
   
   
4. Pull the arms back down and bring the elbows back toward the side of the rib cage while squeezing the shoulder blades together at the bottom of this motion (figure 3).
   
   
5. Repeat this motion 10-20 times.
   

Figure 1

Figure 3