Lay flat on your back with your feet flexed (toes pointing to the ceiling) and your arms down by your side, palms facing up in a gesture of receiving. As you inhale, gently lift your arms straight up and over your head, reaching back behind you to rest on the floor if you have the mobility. Do not force it, this should feel like a pleasant stretch and not painful. As you inhale and lift your arms, simultaneously point your toes like a ballerina straight in front of you, so your body makes one long line. As you exhale, bring your feet back into a flexed position and your arms back down by your side. Repeat five times, making sure to link the movement with the breath.
By laying flat on your back, you give your nervous system a chance to slow down. Additionally, the movement created in your arms and legs provides a pump like effect moving lymph which is necessary for the immune system to do its job.
“Your hand opens and closes and opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralyzed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as bird wings.” -Rumi