Bow Pose

2/15/2021

Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) is a moderate to deep prone backbend. The knees are bent and the arms reach back towards the lifted feet.

Benefits

Step by step

Lie on your belly, with your hands by your side, palms facing up
Bend your knees and take hold of your ankles with your hands
Press your pubic bone down, draw your lower belly in and up
On an inhalation, press your ankles into your hands, lifting your chest and thighs
Slide your shoulder blades down and towards each other to open your chest
Stay for a few breaths, breathing into your chest and ribs
On an exhale, release your ankles, and gently lower down onto your belly, resting for a few breaths.

Beginners’ tips

Make sure you have warmed up your spine before trying this pose – use lower backbends such as Cobra and Locust first.
If it causes you discomfort when your hip bones press into the floor, you can place a folded yoga blanket under your pelvis.
Try using a yoga strap around your ankles if you have trouble lifting from the ground.
Try the pose in stages by only lifting your chest up, first of all - leaving your thighs and knees on the floor.

Watch out for

Variations

To deepen this pose, keep your knees and feet closer together. Or take hold of the inside of the ankles for an extra stretch on the shoulders and upper back.
Use your back and abdominal muscles to rock forwards and backwards in this pose. You may need to place a folded blanket under your hips for extra padding.
Practise one-sided versions of Bow Pose by extending the right leg back, resting on your right forearm while taking the left ankle with the left hand.
You can also practise Bow Pose lying on your side.

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