The twelfth in a series of columns offering yoga postures for men, women, and children to practice at home, school, on the road or in the office. With special thanks to Ross Pottinger of Wink Photo Design in Brisbane, Australia for the photos and the support in this project. And many thanks to Louisa Dick for taking part in the project. Do check with your health care practitioner before beginning a yoga practice. Many postures are not suitable for pregnant women, people with joint replacements, those with hypertension or other medical conditions. If you have a posture that you would like to see in this column, I welcome your suggestions. Namaste, H!

Eka Padasana: One Foot Pose or
The Balancing Stick Pose

To Begin: Stand with feet together, Raise arms overhead and interlock all fingers but the index fingers. Ensure that your body is aligned (ear, shoulder, hip and ankle), and abdominal muscles are engaged to keep the rib cage from lifting.

The Pose: Exhale and step the right leg forward 2 feet. Inhale and lengthen the body reaching up and forward with your arms are you reach out and back with the left leg, until the body aligns parallel with the ground, like an airplane. Keep the ears between the arms, shoulders broad, and abdominal muscles supportive. The right thigh should remain strong to support the body.

To Intensify: Instead of interlocking hands, place palms flat against one another with only the thumbs crossed.

Breathing: Hold the pose for five deep breaths.

To Modify: Hold the back of a chair to give the body extra support. Remember, the abdominal muscles are the glue that holds this pose together.

Focus: Keep the gaze focussed forward on the ground ahead of your mat. All balancing poses require ‘single mindedness of thought’, so keep your mind fully in the present, on the body, on the breath, and on the visual focus.

Cautions: Do not allow your supporting knee to hyperextend (bend backwards). Keep your supporting thigh strong, lifting the kneecap up into the thigh. The most common problem in this pose is not finding the parallel alignment; so use a mirror to guide your body into a straight line; lower back flat, hips square to the ground, arms beside ears and extended leg straight.

Benefits: Strengthens the body, builds stamina, and improves balance and mental focus.