Urdhva Dhanurasana, Upward Bow or Wheel

Noeleen Maughan

Urdhva Dhanurasan has been chosen by Noeleen for this weeks favourite yoga pose. The effort that goes into this posture always amazes me. It seams to be the one pose that most people who come to yoga are determined to accomplish. Many women have the back flexibility but lack the arm strength to lift up with ease while men tend to have the strength however the find lack of flexibility in arms adn back very challenging. Yet almost everyone who comes to my yoga classes seams to approach this posture with conviction.

With practice, patience and strong determination I see this posture opening to anyone who continues to put the effort into the practice and especially into the prerequisite postures that open the body in preparation for this beautiful yoga pose.

Tips and benefits of Urdhva Danurasana blelow. Enjoy!

Here’s Noeleens note explaining the challenge is the joy in the pose!

Urdhva Dhanurasana

“One of the things I love about yoga is that it constantly challenges you to stretch your body beyond what you thought were its limits. The pose that I experienced this process the most with was bridge pose. When I was a child I remember some of my friends being able to do this at the drop of a hat and always wanted to do it, but thought my back just wasn’t flexible enough. So returning to try and do it as an adult seemed like an impossible challenge! However, after a long time practising with the half-bridge pose, I gradually began to manage to lift myself up with my arms, just for a few seconds and then for longer. I realised that the main thing that was stopping me from doing it before was my mind and it gradually got easier and easier to get past that initial lift (I find a big deep breath helps!) Now I love the pose because it gives the spine and shoulder blades such a good stretch and squeeze, and it feels so rejuvenating and calming at the same time.”

Urdhva Dhanursana

Benefits

Stretches the chest and lungs
Strengthens the arms and wrists, legs, buttocks, abdomen, and spine
Stimulates the thyroid and pituitary gland
Increases energy and counteracts depression
Therapeutic for asthma, back pain, infertility, and osteoporosis

Tips:

Begin with feet close to hips and hip width apart.
Place hands close to head on the yoga mat.
Lift hips up first.
Push up onto the top of head.
When head is on floor widen the hands toward sides of yoga mat and turn the hands slightly toward the edge of the yoga mat. (widening the hands will give you strength to push up).
Push up and hold for 5 deep breaths. For beginners a few seconds is enough.
For beginners build strength by holding the posture for 1 second more every two weeks.
While doing this posture try to keep awareness in the feet and move them as little as possible. Holding feet parallel and hip width apart is ideal but not possible for everyone.
Try to hold inner spiral in the thighs (thighs rotating inwards) otherwise thighs tend to over outer spiral.
Hugging the shins towards each other in this pose will give power to the legs and free up the upper body to go deeper into the pose.