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

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Yoga exercise for digestion, Noose Pose

In the noose pose, the arms are wrapped around the squatting legs and the hands are clasped behind the back, forming a "noose." This position, suitable for intermediate and advanced students, is described in the Full Pose section below. First we'll look at a simpler version of this twist, using the wall as a prop. Noose Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions Step 1 Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) next to a wall with your feet hip-width and parallel to each other. Ideally, you will stand forearm distance from the wall. So, as you stand in Tadasana with the wall on your right side, turn to the right and press your right palm into the wall-from wrist to elbow, your forearm should be parallel to the ground. Adjust your distance to the wall accordingly and turn your torso back to center. Step 2 Bend your knees into a full squat, with your buttocks sitting on your heels. If you're not able to get the heels fully on the floor, squat with the heels raised o...

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Yoga exercise for lower back pain. Knees to chest with slow rock pose

Yoga exercise for lower back pain. Knees to chest with slow rock pose The knee to chest pose is a classical yoga asana with therapeutic benefits for lower back pain. When coupled up with a slow rock either side to side or back and forth, it offers a gentle massage to the lower back that helps relieve pain. It also stabilizes and aligns the spine as your release the weight of your body to the ground. Furthermore, it massages the abdominal organs promoting digestion and detoxification – constipation can worsen lower back pain How it to do it Lie on your back with legs extended forward. Draw your knees towards your chest. Interlace your fingers and firmly rest them on your shins, to nudge the knees nearer to your chest. This allows your upper and middle back to ground down and for a deep stretch on the lower back. Hold for 5-10 breaths. Modifications For added comfort, you may place a thin blanket under your neck or ...

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Strengthens the arms and wrists. Side Crane (Crow) Pose

The key to Parsva Bakasana is twisting enough to place the outer edge of one upper arm far around the outside of the opposite thigh. Side Crane (Crow) Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions Step 1 Bend your knees to a half-squat, thighs parallel to the floor. If your heels don't rest comfortably on the floor, support them on a thickly folded blanket. Take your left elbow to the outside of your right thigh as you soften your belly. Step 2 Exhaling, twist your torso to the right, bringing your left lower ribs across toward your right thigh as far as you can. Step 3 Slide the back of your left arm down the outside of the right thigh, bringing your outer armpit as close to the outer thigh as you can. Keeping the arm in place, do a slight back bend and draw your right shoulder back to twist your torso more deeply. Step 4 Exhaling each time, repeat these alternating backbending and twisting movements until you reach your maximum rotation. Then slide you...

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