Bring your thighs, calves, and inner feet to touch.This increases the stretch in your front body and intensifies the bend of your back body. Grip your ankles more firmly and then bend your elbows and try to straighten your legs.Start slowly and listen to your body as you progress.Īvoid or modify this pose if you have high or low blood pressure, suffer from migraines or a hernia, or have any issues with your low back or neck.Īvoid this pose if you are pregnant. If you experience any pinching, compression, or pain in your low back, slowly lower until you feel comfortable or come out of the pose.Notice if you tend to hold your breath in this pose.This allows you to practice the shape of the pose before you also need to maintain your balance. If you find it difficult to balance in Bow Pose, try it while you lie on one side on your mat.You may find your knees want to splay out to the sides.Give your legs an assist by lying with your thighs supported on a folded or rolled-up blanket. Sometimes beginners find it difficult to lift their thighs away from the floor.To ease out of the pose, bend your knees and lower your legs to the floor. Lift your gaze slightly so the curve of your neck is a continuation of the curve of your upper back.Continue to press your shins back and away from your hands as you reach your sternum forward and up, balancing on your navel.Roll your shoulders back again to reinforce the external rotation. Keep your thighs on the mat as you push your shins toward the wall in back of you as you lift and open your chest.Press the bottoms of your feet up toward the ceiling to energize your legs. Keep your feet flexed and your outer ankles from bowing out.(Be certain to reach back with both hands at the same time.) This hand position puts your shoulders in internal rotation, so roll your shoulders back and up again. Bend your knees and reach back with your hands to clasp the outside of your ankles.Keep your hands on the mat as you lift your head and chest a few inches off the mat and keep a slight tuck of your chin. Rotate your inner thighs toward the ceiling (to broaden your lower back) and firm your outer ankles into your midline (to prevent your feet from turning inward).Extend your feet straight back and press down with the tops of all 10 toenails to activate your quadriceps.Begin on your belly with your legs hip-distance apart and your palms on the mat beside your lower ribs.Relieves mild backaches, fatigue, anxiety, and menstrual discomfort.Stimulates abdominal organs and relieves constipation. Bow Pose strengthens your back muscles, the back of your thighs, and buttocks ( glutes). It stretches your abdomen, chest, shoulders, front of your hips ( hip flexors), and the front of your thighs (quadriceps). Bow Pose also improves posture and counteracts the effects of sitting for extended periods of time, such as slouching and kyphosis (abnormal curvature of the spine). It may help to build confidence and empowerment. It also increases blood flow to your digestive system. Section divider SanskritĪsana = pose Section divider Bow Pose Basicsīenefits: Like all backbends, Bow Pose is energizing and stimulates the adrenal glands, which can help you fight fatigue. Strengthening your diaphragm through your yoga practice will help you get out of your head, stay grounded in your body, and quiet your mind-on and off the mat. Breathing more deeply can lower your heart rate, regulate blood pressure, and help you relax. Expanding through the front, back, and sides of your body stretches the diaphragm so that you can take deeper breaths. You may find yourself holding your breath in Bow Pose-resist this urge. It helps improve your posture by opening your chest and shoulders, counteracting the time you spend hunched over your computer. This heart-opening backbend stretches your hip flexors and hamstrings (aka the muscles that are shortened and tightened, respectively, from all that sitting) while strengthening your back. If you’re among the millions of people glued to a desk for hours upon hours every day, then you need Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) in your life. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
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