How To: Prepare for a yoga backbend by lying on a roll

As a yoga practitioner you must be unafraid to bend your body like a German pretzel into all matter of formations, forgoing that bitter mistress named gravity and find your own center of balance instead. Once you're an advanced yogi you can do such crazy poses as balancing your entire body at a 45 degree incline on just your two hands.

But the road to getting there means LOTS of stretching and repeating. Learn how to do one of the foundation movements in yoga flow, the backbend, by watching this video. Because bending your back at such an angle can be difficult for those who are stiff jointed, you'll be guided through how to ease the transition by lying on a roll first.

A roll opens up the chest, shoulders and thoracic spine.