What time is it? Camel time! You spend the first 75 minutes of class warming up your spine so it's ready for this posture, which is the deepest backbend we do in the Bikram Yoga series. You begin with your knees and feet each about 6 inches apart from one another with your feet in line directly behind your knees. Place your hands on either side of your lower spine, as if you were about to slide them into the back pockets of your jeans. While keeping your hips forward, take in a deep inhale and drop your head back as far as you can until you see the back wall behind you. Don't worry; if your back is tight, this may be as far as you go at first, and that's ok! If you get to this point and feel comfortable, and can maintain your hip position, carefully move your hands down and grasp your heels. Never sink down into the lower spine: your hips should stay as far forward as possible, and your chest should stay high, creating a 360 degree angle against gravity. As you're in the posture, continue to inhale your chest up and exhale your hips forward, deepening the backbend. To come out of the posture, carefully bring your hands back to your hips (this is critical to support your back!) and inhale to straighten the spine back to your starting position. For the second set of Camel pose, you can open your knees a tad wider, keeping 6 inches between the feet. This will allow you to go a little deeper into the posture and maximize your stretch. Your vertebrae will bend like pearls on a necklace. You may get a little dizzy after this posture, which is completely normal! You're compressing your entire spinal column and stretching the entire front side of your body--of course you're going to feel something! Camel pose not only stimulates the nervous system, is also a great stretch for your abdominal organs (yes, they need stretching, too!) as well as your thyroid and parathyroid glands. Camel also, like all the backbending postures, improves several common spinal problems, including scoliosis. Feel free to do a few extra Camels after class! The rush can't be beat and it's the best medicine for your one-and-only spine!