Sanskrit name
dhanurasana (dhanu= bow)
How to do dhanurasana
Lie on your belly with your forehead on the ground. Your arms alongside your body, palms facing upward.
Inhale, feel your body on the floor. Exhale, bend your knees, bringing your heels as close as you can to your glutes. Bring your hands backward and hold your ankles from the outside with your hands. Bring your shoulder blades together, keep shoulders wide away from the ears.
With your next inhale lift up your head, chest and thighs away from the floor. Your heels are reaching up and back. Feel your chest open and stretched backwards, while your heels are pushing actively against your hands. Keep your knees maximum hip width apart.
Look up and bring a smile on your face. Your spine is now arched. Keep the pose stable and focus on your breath. Hold the pose for several deep breaths, while you reach out higher with every exhalation.
On an exhale your lower down knees, chest and forehead to the ground. Releasing your hands and legs.
Special focus on
knees: keep them not wider than hip width apart
shoulders/ neck: don’t contract. Widen the space between shoulders and ears, bringing shoulder blades together. Keep neck and shoulders relaxed.
Benefits
- Strengthens back and abdominal muscles
- stretches the chest, neck and shoulders
- Stimulates the reproductive organs
- Tones the leg and arm muscles
- increases flexibility to the back
- Good stress and fatigue buster
- stimulates digestion, relieves constipation
Contraindications
neck injuries, lower back pain, high or low blood pressure, headache, migraine