When your breath is shallow, you can feel confined, compacted or narrowed.
This sensation can also affect your mind, creating rigidity in your thinking and behavior. When you open horizontally, you will feel more spacious, from the inside out.
Practicing Utthita Parsvakonasana, also known as Extended Side Angle Pose, can give you the space to breathe and the support your body needs to feel energized.
Here's a quick tip to get started... begin with a healthy foundation in your legs. Then focus on stretching the arms to expand the chest. As you bring your top arm over your ear, rotate the belly and chest up. This helps to maintain the space in your chest for prana to flow freely.
Gently breathe in and out as you relax into the pose. Allow your prana to flow and your mind to clear.
A great mantra to use is "I flow with each breath as I clear my mind and relax my body."
Namaste