Asana of the Week: Side Angle Pose

I will be teaching Around the Curves tonight, and each week I build my class around a particular pose or asana. For the last month, my students have been working their way through a series on the various warrior poses as part of a journey to triangle.
Our next stop is side angle pose or parvitta parsvakonasana. For many students this is a daunting pose, but it's not as painful or as scary as it may seem. It's easily modified, which allows most folks to do it.
The full movement of the pose is here:
STEP 1: To start off, put your right foot forward, bend your knee at 90 degrees, and kneel with your left knee.

STEP 2: Bring your left elbow or left upper arm over your right knee. Move your right hand close to your hips.

STEP 3: Place both palms in the prayer position. Make an upward motion out of the lower back so that the elbow slightly presses upward against your right knee and you no longer lean on your leg.

STEP 4: Put some counter pressure with your arm against the knee, stretch your back, move your shoulder blades backwards, and turn to the right with your upper body. Straighten your left leg backwards.

STEP 5: Put your left hand on the floor and align your right arm with your left leg. At this point, your right arm and left leg should form a diagonal line. Try to stretch your neck, breathe towards the breast bone and twist from the lower shoulder blade which steers on the twist. Repeat the exercise on the other side.
From http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/info/revolved-side-angle.asp