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Bow pose (dhanurasana)

 

I like dhanurasana, although I must admit in the beginning it was very hard to raise up like in the picture for me. Thankfully Kru Nui who you see pictured here is a very good and very patent yoga teacher.

One nice feature of the pose is the fact that it gives a nice stretch to the abs while strengthening the back at the same time, this pose is ideal to practice after an Abdominal workout. In addition it opens up the chest and helps to easy breathing, this has a calming effect on the nervous system and will help calm the mind and bring things into clearer focus.

A resource for you that is very helpful in training this pose as well as others is Scientific Keys Vol 1 - The Key Muscles of Hatha Yoga, It is an excellent book that details the muscle and bone alignments for this pose as well as many other postures. It has brought my training to a whole new level. (The ability to visualize what is happening inside the body can really make allot of the more difficult poses easier to do). They have a free first chapter on the site, I encourage you to check it out.

 

How to do this pose.

1. Lie flat on your stomach with your forehead resting on the floor

2. Bend your knees and reach back and grab both ankles. Your knees and feet would be hips width apart.

3. Exhale as you press your pubic bone into the floor.

4. Inhale as you lift your head, chest and thighs off the floor.

5. Then stretch your legs away from your body and use this motion to help pull your upper body higher off the ground, your arms should be straight but remember NOT to lock your elbows out.

6. Point the top of your head to the ceiling and gaze straight ahead. As you look straight ahead focus on smooth breathing and make your eyes soft.

7. Hold this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minutes then slowly lower yourself back down to the mat.

 

NOTE: For those with limited flexibility that find this pose alittle to difficult try holding only one leg with the other straight and flat on the floor, then switch legs. As you gain flexibility try with both legs.

Also Use Caution when doing this pose if you have back problems or high blood pressure.

I hope you enjoy this pose, I like it, it is a nice change from shoulderstand for me (which is my favorite pose) while still giving me a similar feeling. I feel very fresh after this pose. I wish you all the best and do not forget to sign up for our RSS feed to the left to be notified of new pages as they come.

 

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