Begin seated with your legs extended in front of you. Allow the feet to roll away from each other. Grasping the inner thighs or shins, slowly draw the heels towards the pelvis, bringing the soles of the feet to touch. Place your palms on the floor behind you and press down through the fingertips to scoot your seat back. This helps remove the fleshier parts of the buttocks to be more directly seated on the sitz bones* Without force, allow the knees to extend out to the sides and down towards the floor. Either grasp the ankles or shins, or interlace the hands around the outer edges of the feet. Ground down through the sitz bones as you extend the spine upward. Gaze forward with your chin slightly tucked to maintain openness and length through the back of the neck. Rather than forcing the knees down, relax the inner groin muscles to allow the knees to open. If you are feeling too much strain in the hips, knees, or lower back, you can still gain the hip and groin opening benefits of this pose with a slight modification. Bring the palms flat to the floor behind you with arms extended. Lean slightly back and press down through the palms. In either variation, breathe slowly and deeply through the nose, and rest in this pose as long as it is comfortable.