Asana of the Month: Bow

By John Dunbar 25 September 2008 10:57:00

Asana of the Month

September:             Bow

Sanskrit name:   Dhanurasana

General discussion

The reason this exercise is called the Bow is it resembles a bow; pulled tight, ready to shoot an arrow.  The Bow has so many benefits that it is a must in any practice.  It may be a little challenging at first to master, but once you get the hang of it you will be doing it with ease. 

The How To

1.       Lie on your stomach, legs slightly apart and your arms at your side.  Put your forehead on the mat.

2.                 Bend your right knee and reach back with your right and grab onto your right ankle. Bend you left knee and reach back with your left hand and grab onto your left ankle.  (If you cannot grab your ankles then grab your foot but now your toes).

3.                 Have your body weight rest on your stomach and not your pelvis.  Keep your arms straight and push your feet into your hands and raise up your feet.  Try to straighten your knees as much as you can as you try and rise up higher and higher.

4.                 Once your feet are up high you can rock back and forth on your abdomen, imagining you are the lower part of a wheel and someone is rolling you back and forth on the mat.  Great way to massage your abdomen.

5.                 Try and hold the pose for 10 - 20 seconds.  When you are ready to come down slowly lower your thighs and chest and head down to the mat.  Bring your heels to your bottom for a few seconds

Potential Mistakes

Try to hold your ankles or feet but not your toes.  Many people try and keep the elbows bent but it is important to keep your arms straight when you come up into the pose.  Make sure your legs are slightly apart but not too far apart.

Benefits of the posture

• Aid with constipation
• Keeps the spine elastic by giving a deep massage to the back muscles
• Regulates the pancreas so it is very good for people with diabetes
• Energizes us
• Massages all the digestive organs
• Helps cure flatulence after meals (well there goes the fart jokes!)
• Helps prevent sterility (you know I want to say something here...)
• Improves posture; no more slouching

Precautions

• Pregnant women should not practice this posture
• After abdominal surgery, avoid this asana until you are fully healed
• Avoid it if you have high blood pressure, stomach ailments or a hernia

Additional Comments

I once had a girlfriend that used this pose to literally get the gas out!  If she was feeling a little gassy she would lie on the floor and go up into the bow and as long as I wasn't downwind of her all was good.  So just keep that in mind if you have been dipping heavily into the beans.  Try and challenge yourself a little more each time, lifting the feet a little higher every time you practice it. 

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