This exercise is great for freeing the segments of the spine. With gravity always acting on our body, our joint segments are always being compressed. This lead to the spine being in a closed position with limited degrees of freedom. As we breathe through flexion of the spine, we free the spinal tissue and allow the nervous system to relax while the head is being brought towards the floor. The bringing of the head towards the floor often signals the nervous system to be more alert since it views that as falling.