Bow Pose

Dhanurāsana

Read what the gnome says

Bow Pose! Lie on your belly, bend the knees, and reach back to hold the ankles. Press the feet into the hands and lift the chest and thighs together, like drawing a bow. Keep the knees about hip-width, the neck long. Don't crunch the lower back. Breathe, small sips of air.

Works on Spinal erectors · Glutes · Posterior deltoids

How to do it

1. Lie on the belly, bend the knees and take hold of the ankles.
2. Inhale, kick the feet back into the hands and lift the chest and thighs.
3. Gaze forward, breathe into the back of the ribs and hold; release slowly.

Common mistakes

• Don’t crank the neck back.
• Don’t force the feet higher than the shoulders allow.
• Don’t hold the breath.

Benefits

• Opens the chest, front of the hips and shoulders.
• Strengthens the muscles along the back.
• Counters long hours of sitting and rounding forward.

Take care: Go easy or skip if you have lower-back, neck or wrist pain, or are pregnant. Stay in the comfortable range and never force depth.

Suggest a correction

In ready-made sequences

Sivananda 12 Basic Poses 10 min

Not medical advice. Ease off if anything feels sharp or wrong.

Similar poses Backbend

• Bridge with Arms OverheadIntermediate
• Camel PoseIntermediate
• Frog Pose (backbend)Intermediate
• Half Bow PoseIntermediate
• Half Frog PoseIntermediate
• Locust Pose AIntermediate