Stretches the chest and lungs. Upward Bow (Wheel) Pose

Need an energy boost? Urdhva Dhanurasana can help—and strengthen your arms, legs, abdomen, and spine in the process.

Upward Bow (Wheel) Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1

Lie supine on the floor. Bend your knees and set your feet on the floor, heels as close to the sitting bones as possible. Bend your elbows and spread your palms on the floor beside your head, forearms relatively perpendicular to the floor, fingers pointing toward your shoulders.

Step 2

Pressing your inner feet actively into the floor, exhale and push your tailbone up toward the pubis, firming (but not hardening) the buttocks, and lift the buttocks off the floor. Keep your thighs and inner feet parallel. Take 2 or 3 breaths. Then firmly press the inner hands into the floor and your shoulder blades against the back and lift up onto the crown of your head. Keep your arms parallel. Take 2 or 3 breaths.

Step 3

Press your feet and hands into the floor, tailbone and shoulder blades against your back, and with an exhalation, lift your head off the floor and straighten your arms. Turn the upper thighs slightly inward and firm the outer thighs. Narrow the hip points and lengthen the tailbone toward the backs of the knees, lifting the pubis toward the navel.

Step 4

Turn the upper arms outward but keep the weight on the bases of the index fingers. Spread the shoulder blades across the back and let the head hang, or lift it slightly to look down at the floor.

Step 5

Stay in the pose anywhere from 5 to 10 seconds or more, breathing easily. Repeat anywhere from 3 to 10 times.

Modifications and Props

Often the armpits and/or groins are tight and restrict full movement into this pose. You can support either your hands or feet on a pair of blocks to help yourself realize the full backbend. Be sure to brace the blocks against a wall, and if you like, cover them with a sticky mat to keep the hands or feet from slipping.

Benefits

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

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

Stretches and stimulates the muscles of the belly and front of the neck. Fish Pose

It is said that if you perform the fish pose in water, you will be able to float like a fish. Fish Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions Step 1 Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent, feet on the floor. Inhale, lift your pelvis slightly off the floor, and slide your hands, palms down, below your buttocks. Then rest your buttocks on the backs of your hands (and don’t lift them off your hands as you perform this pose). Be sure to tuck your forearms and elbows up close to the sides of your torso. Step 2 Inhale and press your forearms and elbows firmly against the floor. Next press your scapulas into your back and, with an inhale, lift your upper torso and head away from the floor. Then release your head back onto the floor. Depending on how high you arch your back and lift your chest, either the back of your head or its crown will rest on the floor. There should be a minimal amount of weight on your head to avoid crunching your neck. (For more about this, ...

자세한 내용 보기

Yoga exercise for beginners. Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)

Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes Triangle Pose ( Utthita Trikonasana ) is a foundation yoga pose across almost every different style of yoga . You will almost certainly encounter it within your first few yoga classes and for years to come. Its relatively simple set-up belies its power as a stretch for the hamstrings. Establishing the foundation of the pose with grounded feet and strong legs allows the chest to twist deeply and blossom open. Instructions There are many ways to come into Triangle. Entering from Warrior II works well because your feet are already in the correct position. You shouldn't need to widen or narrow your stance for this transition. So, from Warrior II, straighten your front leg (the right leg in this case). 1. Engage your right thigh muscles and draw your right femur into its socket. Extend your right hand toward the front of the room, keeping your right hip tucked. 2. Lower ...

자세한 내용 보기

Yoga exercise for stress. Plow Pose

Plow Pose reduces backache and can help you get to sleep. Plow Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions Step 1 From Salamba Sarvangasana, exhale and bend from the hip joints to slowly lower your toes to the floor above and beyond your head. As much as possible, keep your torso perpendicular to the floor and your legs fully extended. Step 2 With your toes on the floor, lift your top thighs and tailbone toward the ceiling and draw your inner groins deep into the pelvis. Imagine that your torso is hanging from the height of your groins. Continue to draw your chin away from your sternum and soften your throat. Step 3 You can continue to press your hands against the back torso, pushing the back up toward the ceiling as you press the backs of the upper arms down, onto your support. Or you can release your hands away from your back and stretch the arms out behind you on the floor, opposite the legs. Clasp the hands and press the arms actively down on the support as y...

자세한 내용 보기

Yoga Alone Blog

이 블로그 검색