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Upward Bow, Backbend, or Wheel Pose
Also Known as Urdhva Dhanurasana
About the Pose
Upward Bow, Backbend, or Wheel Pose is a back bending asana. It is deceptively easy to perform.
Benefits of Upward Bow, Backbend, or Wheel Pose
* It strengths abdomen, arms and wrists, buttocks, legs, and spine.
* It helps stretch the chest and lungs.
* It results in the stimulation of the thyroid and pituitary glands.
* It also acts as a therapeutic treatment for back pain, asthma, osteoporosis, and infertility.
* It results in an increase in energy levels. It also counters depression.
How to do Upward Bow, Backbend, or Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)?
Step 1: Lie flat on your back.
Step 2: Bend your knees and bring your feet as close as possible to your buttocks. Ensure that the soles are firmly (and parallelly) planted on the floor.
Step 3: Take your hands and place them at the side of your head, that is above and underneath your shoulders. The hands should point towards the feet.
Step 4: Take a deep breath and push down on the floor with your hands. You would see that gradually your buttocks get lifted off the floor.
Step 5: Do not go full up yet. Rest the top of your almost inverted head on the mat. In the meanwhile, ensure that your arms and elbows are parallel to each other and have not bended to the sides.
Step 6: Now try to straighten your elbows out, lifting your head off the floor in the process.
Step 7: Lift your chest fully towards the ceiling.
Step 8: Remain in the pose for about 5 to 10 seconds.
Step 9: In order to slip out of the pose, press your shin into your chest and begin lowering your torso slowly.
Step 10: Rest with your knees knocking together.
Step 11: Repeat for another 2 times.
A word of caution:
This yoga pose is not supposed to be performed if you are suffering from any of the following ailments:
* Carpal tunnel syndrome
* Back injury
* Headache
* Diarrhea
* High or low blood pressure
* Heart problems
Modifications and props:
The difficulty that would be encountered would come in the form of restricted movement of groin and/or armpit. In order to facilitate doing the pose you can make use of blocks placed underneath each of the two hands. Realizing the backbend fully would be possible in this manner. For stability and better grip on the blocks you can cover them with anything that offers friction.
For beginners, the arms would try to give away. It can be countered by propping the hands (or the blocks) against the wall. If you are using a pair of blocks then for maximum results you can place them at an incline of 45 degrees.
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