Urdhva Dhanurasana – Upward Bow, Back Bend or Wheel Yoga Pose

Start in the supine posture lying down on the floor. Bend the knees so that the heel of the feet touches the sitting bone, feet hip width apart. Bend the elbows so that hands are placed between the shoulders and the head, shoulder width apart, with the palms facing down and fingers facing the body.

Inhale and lift the torso upwards as high as you can starting from the legs followed by the arms straight after. Keep the shins perpendicular to the floor, pull the body in the direction of the head and open the chest in order to gain a round curve shape without applying too much pressure on the lower back. Keep the head and neck relaxed. Stay in the pose for about 20 seconds.

To come out gradually bring the torso down, bending the arms until the torso touches the floor.

This posture is a powerful back bending and requires enough strength in the arms. To counterbalance this pose stay lying down and hug the knees with both hands.

Hatha Yoga Postures: Sanskrit – English

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Recommended Reading • Corpse / Relaxation Yoga Pose – Savasana • Bidalasana – Cat Stretch Yoga Pose • Setu Bandhasana – Arch Yoga Posture • Supta Matsyendrasana – Double Leg Lift Supine Twist Yoga Pose • Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge) Yoga Posture

Tags: Upward Bow, Urdhva Dhanurasana, yoga postures

This entry was posted on Friday, March 13th, 2009 at 3:15 pm and is filed under Yoga. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.