Urdhva Dhanurasana  
  • Beginner's Tip:
    • The knees and feet tend to splay as you lift into this pose, which compresses the lower back. In the beginning position, loop and secure a strap around your thighs, just above the knees, to hold the thighs at hip width and parallel to each other. To keep the feet from turning out, place a block between them, with the bases of the big toes pressing the ends of the block. As you go up, press the feet into the block.
  • 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.
  • Deepen the pose:
    • Once in the pose, lift your heels away from the floor and press your tailbone toward the ceiling. Walk the feet a little closer to the hands. Then, from the height of the tailbone, press the heels into the floor again. This will increase the depth of the backbend.
  • Partnering:
    • A partner can help you learn about the work in the shoulders in this pose. Have your partner stand at your head, facing you. Perform the pose. Your partner can bring his/her hands around the sides of your torso so that his/her palms cover the shoulder blades and encourage them to widen away from the spine.
  • Info
    • urdhva = upward dhanu = bow
  • 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
  • Therapeutic Applications:
    • Stress.
  • Contraindications and Cautions:
    • Back injury.
    • Carpal tunnel syndrome.
    • Diarrhea.
    • Headache.
    • Heart problems .
    • High or low blood pressure.
                   
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