Dhanurasan

Maintaining flexibility is critical if you want to avoid the pain of stiff joints. Here’s how to do bow pose to benefit your upper torso and hips. Bow pose is a deep backbend that opens the chest and front of the body while expanding the hip flexors. In this yoga asana (pose), the body takes the shape of an archer’s bow. Bow pose is also known as Dhanurasana (DON-your-ahs-UN-ah) in the ancient language of Sanskrit . Level of difficulty: Intermediate Bow pose step-by-step instructions Pro tip: Warm-up the body with a few simple movements before going into this pose. You will reduce your chance of straining the joints and muscles in your legs, arms, and back if you stretch first. See preparatory poses below. • Begin by lying flat on your abdomen with your feet and knees hip width apart and your arms by the sides of your body • Bend your knees and grab hold of each ankle with each hand • Breathing in, lift your chest and upper torso off the ground, and pull your legs up and back using your hands • Relax your leg muscles and gluteal muscles, allowing your upper and lower body to come up easily (your hands will pull your lower body up by the ankles) • Look straight ahead and keep your gaze forward, relax your back muscles and smile! • Stabilize the pose by paying attention to your breath, and keep breathing • Once stabilized, the entire body is taut as an archer’s bow • Continue to take a few breaths as you relax in bow pose, but be careful not to overdo the stretch • After 15 ...

Strength and flexibility – if there is one way to boost both these abilities, it has to be yoga. Almost every yoga pose can help you achieve these fitness goals. The only thing that varies is the magnitude of the benefits. For instance, if you wish to have higher flexibility and strength, you should perform advanced-level If you have been planning to do Akarna Dhanurasana but have no idea where to begin, this is the right place. Below is a simple guide wherein you can learn the meaning of Akarna Dhanurasana along with its steps and benefits. Let’s start. ‍ What is Akarna Dhanurasana? Akarna Dhanurasana Meaning and Interpretation The word Akarna Dhanurasana is derived from the Sanskrit language where “ Karna” means “Ear”, “ Dhanura” means “Bow”, and “ Asana” is “Pose”. The term “Karna” has “A” as a prefix which means “Near” or “Towards. In English, the pose is known as Archer pose since the pose resembles the action of an archer drawing an arrow from the bow. To attain this posture, you have to draw one of your feet closer to the ear while the other leg stays extended on the ground. You can also call it Shooting Bow Pose, or Bow-And-Arrow Pose. As for what the pose signifies, people refer to Mundaka Upanishad (2.2.4). In the text, Akarna Dhanurasana can be referred to as a metaphor for spiritual practice. You can also enchant “Om” while drawing the bow (your leg) with the target being the Supreme power, God. Pulling the string refers to the withdrawing of senses from the su...

• • • • Bow Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions Bring more elasticity into your back and help prevent slipped discs with the Bow Pose, also known as “Dhanurasana”. By bending back into the shape of an archer's bow, your energy will rise as you feel like a weapon: locked, loaded and ready to shoot an arrow. Bow yoga pose Dhanurasana (Pronounced as "don-your-AHS-anna") The Sanskrit word dhanu means "a large bow" like those used by warriors in ancient times. When you perform this posture, your torso and legs represent the crescent-shaped frame of the bow's body, and your arms become tight and straight like the bowstring. How to do Bow Pose Step One Lie down on your stomach on the yoga mat. Take a deep breath as you lift your head and chest up slightly from the floor. Then when you exhale, bend your knees, reach your arms behind you and grab your ankles. The right hand grabs hold of the right ankle, and the left hand holds the left ankle. Keep your knees in line with your hips. Do not spread your knees further apart than that. Take two full breaths in this position. Step Two Take one deep inhalation. Now when you exhale, tighten your thighs and raise your knees higher above the floor, pulling your chest up off the floor at the same time. Rotate your shoulders back, tucking in your shoulder blades as you lift your head up to look at the ceiling. Keep pushing your knees back and up as you raise both your ribs and your pelvis up from the floor. Shift your body weight onto your abdome...

Dhanurasana is a backbend that deeply opens the chest and the front of the body. The name comes from the Sanskrit dhanu, meaning "bow," and asana , meaning "pose." In this asana, the practitioner lies flat on the stomach and bends the knees. Then the arms reach back to grab the ankles. The back arches and the thighs lift off of the floor as the chest pushes forward, bending the body to resemble a bow. Dhanurasana is commonly referred to as bow pose in English. This asana is the eighth pose in the 12 basic postures of Integral Yoga. It is also the last of the three back-bending poses in a standard Hatha yoga class. In a spiritual practice, dhanurasana stimulates the manipura (solar plexus) chakra, also called the life source chakra, situated just above the navel. Stimulating this chakra increases the digestive fire and activates the flow of prana, or life energy. Manipura chakra also represents the core Self and is tied to the practitioner's sense of identity and the ability to be confident and in control. Those with limited flexibility can use a strap to reach the feet at first. If it is not possible to lift the thighs away from the floor, legs can be boosted slightly with a blanket. For more advanced practitioners, this asana can be deepened by performing it with thighs, knees, calves and inner feet touching.

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! PREVIOUS STEP IN YOGAPEDIA SEE ALL ENTRIES IN Dhanurasana Dhanus = bow · asana = pose Benefits Strengthens your back; opens your shoulders and chest; stabilizes your legs; improves hip-flexor function; stimulates digestion and energy flow in your internal organs. Step 1 Begin by lying on your belly with your arms in a cactus position on the floor. As you inhale, gently squeeze your shoulder blades back toward each other. Then, progress by lifting your chest, your head, and the top of your ribs off the floor. Exhale, and on your next inhalation, lift your legs off the floor. Press your feet together and keep your legs active and engaged. Bend your elbows as if squeezing them toward each other behind you. See also Step 2 While maintaining the lift in your chest and legs, bend your knees and bring your heels toward your head until your toes are vertical above your ankles. Keep your hands open with palms facing the floor, and squeeze the skin behind your shoulder blades to engage the muscles in your upper back. Press your big toes and inner heels together. Take 5–10 breaths. Slowly release to the floor, and then repeat at least one more time before proceeding to step 3. See also Step 3 With your legs and arms lifted off the ground, prepare to move into a low-energy Dhanurasana. Reach your hands back toward your ankles, and with your palms facing in, gently catch th...

Introduction to Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) Dhanurasana (Bow pose) got its name because you make your body pose like a Dhanush (bow), the abdomen and thigh represent the wooden part of bow whereat your arms and lower leg represents the bowstring. Dhanurasana is a yogic pose with multiple benefits like cutting down your belly fat, strengthens spine treating asthma, better digestion, and improves flexibility. There is no contradiction to the fact that a stronger and flexible spine is a key to a healthy life, if your spine is not strong enough or if it is out of pasture then your body is more prone to an injury. Dhanurasana (Bow pose) is a great yogic pose to strengthen your spine and relax your body. How Dhanurasana (Bow pose) works? Dhanurasana is an ancient yogic pose that stretches your body from head to toe. The first impact that this pose creates on your body is improved flexibility, it stretches all the major muscle groups in your body. Dhanurasana (bow pose) helps in stretching the spinal cord and modulate the proper blood flow within the spine; it also helps in lubricating and lengthens the spine through its intense stretch. Most of the people these days are suffering from multiple lifestyle diseases and bad posture is one of the most common problems due to long working hours. Dhanurasana helps in releasing stress from all muscle groups and flexes the ligaments and tendons for better functioning. This pose is one of the most common Hath Yoga poses that has multiple benefi...