The Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle) seated pose

Sit with knees spread to the side and the soles of the feet together. Grasp the feet with the hands and pull the heels up to the perineum.  Knees should aim toward the floor. The action comes from aiming the thighs to the floor by opening the hip joint.

Grasp the buttocks, pulling back to make sure you are sitting on the sit bones. Feel the weight evenly distributed on each side. Grasp feet.

With the pelvis in a vertical to floor position, extend the spine as if a string were pulling you up to the sky. Do not let the back pelvis sag, but bring it forward in the extension and elongation of the spine which takes place during inhalation. Hold the extension upon exhaling as your remain rooted to the earth at the sit bones and the feet.

For a variation, extend the crown of the head forward with an extended spine. Try to keep back from rounding. Imagine bringing your navel in front of your feet. Use bolsters or fists to lean on if you do not reach the floor and want to.

Note: This pose is also called the cobbler's pose as Indian shoemakers sit with a shoe between their feet, seemingly effortlessly. This pose is an excellent preparation for childbirth and for menstruation.  Men and women alike benefit from the hip opening qualities it provides.