a. (preliminary movement) Stand with hands on hips and feet wide apart. EXHALE deeply and bend the left knee. At the same time, lean the trunk sideways over the right leg which should be kept straight at all times. (Do not bend over the right leg, but rather to the side, using your obliques). INHALE and return to standing with both legs straight. Begin to exhale and then bend the right knee while bending sideways over the straightened left leg and completing the exhalation. Complete 12 full breaths in this manner. Focus on keeping the weight of the body centered on your bend leg so. In this way, you should be able to lift your grounded foot and inch off the ground without losing balance. See figures 75-80 for reference.
b. (the rubbing) While bending to the left, place both palms firmly on the outer side of the left leg as far down as you can reach without bending forward. While resuming the upright position, slide the palms upward over the thigh, hip and halfway up the side of the trunk. Here, the left hand should be kept vertical under the right (forming a “T”). Now, press hard against the abdomen as you move your hands across to the opposite side. The top (right) hand will be “pulling” above the navel while the left is “pushing” below it. When the hands have made it across the abdomen, slap them onto the right leg and complete the above steps in reverse. (The right hand will be kept vertical under the left this time).