Dhanurasana Pose or the Bow Pose Yoga is one of the most easy-to-do asanas. As per yoga practitioners, it is an intensive pose that is held for a maximum of 10-20 seconds for beginners. This exercise improves the flexibility of the spine as well as the strength of the spine, the legs, and the arms. It also helps to reduce excess belly fat.
Bow Pose Benefits
Just like other asanas, the bow pose helps practitioners extract tons of benefits. The bow posture yoga:
- Stimulates the Solar Plexus Chakra and therefore stimulates and balances the functions of your stomach, gallbladder, liver, spleen, and pancreas, tones all digestive organs, and improves digestion, through abdominal pressure.
- Produces bodily heat and increases digestive fire.
- Tones, strengthens, and massages your lower-back muscles and therefore acts as a remedy to chronic lower back pain.
- Stretches and lengthens your abdominal muscles, psoas, and quadriceps.
- Relieves hunchback and improves overall posture.
- Opens your chest, stretches your intercostals, and therefore increases lung capacity and efficiency.
- Increases mobility and helps to reduce joint pain, especially for the shoulders.
- Improves rheumatism of your hips, knee joints, and hands.
- Compresses your entire spine and rejuvenates your intervertebral discs and your central nervous system.
- Stimulates reproductive organs, providing relief for women who regularly suffer from menstrual cramps.
- Releases tension in the shoulders and neck and therefore is beneficial for those suffering from tension headaches.
- Helps to combat stress, anxiety, and fatigue.
- Increases vitality, concentration, and willpower.
One of the most lucrative asanas is the bow pose in yoga. So, what’s stopping you? Read the below-mentioned instructions and start practicing the bow pose now!
How to Do the Bow Pose?
Here’s how you can perform Dhanurasana Yoga:
STEP 1: Lie down on your abdomen, with your forehead on the floor, and knees shoulder-width apart.
STEP 2: Bend your knees and hold the ankles from the outside, with elbows straight.
STEP 3: Breathe in, push your feet into your hands, lift your chest and knees, and look diagonally upward. Your body has formed a bow position.
STEP 4: Breathe out and gently lower your chest and knees to the floor. Then, release the grip on your ankles and lie down in a Crocodile Pose.
Tips To Remember
Here are a few tips to be kept in mind while performing the bow pose:
- The elbows are straight. Use the opposing force of your feet kicking against your hands to lift yourself higher up.
- Aim to keep your weight on your abdomen and bring your chest and knees into one line parallel to the floor.
- Keep your neck extended from your spine. If flexibility allows, look diagonally upward, otherwise gaze forward.
- For beginners, the duration of hold should be 10–20 seconds. For intermediate practitioners, it’s 20–40 seconds, and for advanced learners, it’s 40 seconds–1 minute.
- If you have difficulties holding on to both ankles, you can practice Urdhva Dhanurasana or the Half Bow Pose which is a variation of the same yoga asana.
- Those who have abdominal issues (e.g. diarrhea, ulcer, menstrual pains, recent surgery), shoulder or knee pain, or have gone through any surgical operation should consult a physician before performing this asana.
- Patients with cardiovascular ailments should perform this asana under the supervision of a health expert or should refrain from doing it.
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