Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)

What Is Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)?

The Bow Pose, sometimes called Dhanurasana, is a fundamental backbend in yoga. This pose, which is derived from the Sanskrit terms “dhanu,” which means bow, and “asana,” which means posture, represents the shape of a drawn bow, with the arms serving as the string and the torso and legs forming the curved frame.

This yoga stance, one of the three fundamental back-stretching poses, promotes a deep opening at the heart center and a strong stretch across the front of the body, both of which can help you develop a graceful and self-assured mindset.

The body assumes a bow-like posture during Dhanurasana, hence the name. Just as a well-strung bow is a warrior’s virtue, a well-stretched body aids in maintaining flexibility and good posture.

Indian mythology and the bow
The bow has been recommended repeatedly throughout Indian mythology. To prove his divinity, Lord Rama broke Lord Shiva’s bow during Princess Sita’s swayamvara in the Ramayana. He then married her to gain victory. This was something no other prince could have done. The bow and arrow were used in some of the Mahabharata’s most iconic duelling scenes.

Karna, Prince Arjuna’s strongest opponent, was also skilled with bows and arrows. However, Arjuna outperforms everyone else at archery due to his tenacity and consistent practice. This determination and consistency will let you analyse yourself as you effortlessly enter Dhanurasana.

Which muscles are used in Dhanurasana?

• Erector spinae
• Quadratus lumborum
• Rhomboids
• Trapezius
• Transverse abdominis
• Rectus abdominis
• Obliques
• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Gluteus Maximus
• Biceps
• Triceps
• Deltoids
• Pectoralis major
• Latissimus dorsi
• Neck muscles

What Advantages Does Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) Provide?

• The hip flexors are made stronger.
• The digestive system is stimulated by it.
• enhances the health of women’s periods.
• enhances the function of the abdominal organs.
• It makes your upper back stronger.
• improves posture when sitting and standing.
• offers the brain therapeutic advantages.
• strengthens the spine and hamstrings.

Which positions are necessary for Dhanurasana preparation?

Before Dhanurasana, it is essential to practice these preparatory positions.

• Shalabhasana (Locust Posture)
• Bhujangasana (Cobra Stretch)
• Setu Bandhasana
• Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
• Virasana
• Supta Virasana
• Sarvangasana

How to do Dhanurasana?

• On your stomach.
• Make sure your forehead is against the floor and your legs are close together.
• Lift your feet behind you and bend your legs at the knees.
• Lean your arms back while holding onto your ankles.
• Breathe. Lift your head and thighs off the floor simultaneously.
• Your body should be arching upward at this point.
• At the beginning, hold the pose for ten seconds.
• As you become more comfortable, you can increase the timing to about one minute.

Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) Video:

What are the Dhanurasana follow-up poses?

Once you have completed Dhanurasana, practise these subsequent poses:

• Urdhva Dhanurasana
• Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
• Ustrasana
• Matsyasana
• Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Which Dhanurasana Tips Are Best for Beginners?

• Lay a folded blanket under your pelvis to keep your hip bones from grinding against the floor.
• You might want to wear a strap around your ankles if you have trouble getting off the ground.
• Try the pose slowly by just elevating your chest while maintaining your knees and thighs on the floor.
• Make sure you warm up your spine with lower backbends like locust and cobra before attempting this pose.

What Kinds of Dhanurasana Are There?

The Dhanurasana is a highly progressive pose on its own. You can practise other variations of the Dhanurasana in addition to the standard one as you get more comfortable with the basic bow posture. These are some of the most well-liked Dhanurasana styles.

• Purna Dhanurasan
• Parsva Dhanurasana
• Urdhva Dhanurasana
• Dvpada dhanurasana or bridge bow pose
• Padagusta dhanurasana or big toe bow pose
• Dandayama dhanurasana or standing bow pose
• Eka pada Urdhva Dhanurasa (One-Legged Wheel Pose)
• Akarna Dhanurasana (Archer’s Yoga Pose)

Purna Dhanurasana

The Dhanurasana is a rather contemporary pose in and of itself. As you become more accustomed to the basic bow stance, you can practise modifications of the Dhanurasana beyond the regular one. These are some of the most popular styles of Dhanurasana.

How to perform Parsva Dhanurasana ?

• Lie face down on your towel.
• Flex your legs till your toes point in the direction of your head to raise it.
• Breathe and grab your ankles with your hands.
• Raise your legs as high as you can while pulling your arms up and lifting your thighs off the floor.
• Breathe deeply, then raise your shoulders.
• As you exhale, pull your right shoulder towards the floor.
• Hold yourself in a bow position on the sides and keep your gaze on your nose.
• For five breaths, hold the position.
• Breathe out, roll onto your stomach, and jump to your left.
• After five breaths, repeat the same motions on the left.
• Finally, turn over on your stomach and go back to the middle.
• Let go and straighten your legs to ease into the prone position.

Urdhva Dhanurasana or upward-facing bow

What is Urdhva Dhanurasana?

Wheel posture, sometimes referred to as Full-Wheel Pose, Urdhva Dhanurasana, or Chakrasana, is a back-bending pose that involves the entire body, expands the chest, and strengthens the arms, legs, and abdomen. A heart-opening stretch, this pose aids in letting go of despair and depression. This exercise involves starting from a standing position and bending backward until your palms touch the floor.

How to do Urdhva Dhanurasana?

• Lie down on your back with your knees bent and your feet parallel to your knees, which should be hip-distance apart.
• Place your hands by your ears with the palms facing down and the fingers pointing in the direction of your shoulders.
• To elevate yourself a little, take a breath and then release it. Then, place your head on the mat without letting your knees or feet spread apart. Don’t put anything on your head.
• Start arching your middle and upper back, slide your elbows towards each other, align your elbows with your midline, and pull your upper arms into their sockets.
• Continue all of these movements with the next breath in, then use your hands and feet to force yourself into the pose.
• Stretch your arms as far as you can while keeping your legs at least slightly bent.
• Make sure your feet haven’t turned out, and take care of your big toe.
• Rotate your inner thighs towards the floor and move your tailbone towards your feet and the backs of your knees. Let your head hang loosely as you raise your sternum in the direction you are facing and point your tailbone toward your feet.
• A deeper stretch can be achieved by walking your feet closer to your hands while maintaining your forearms and shins perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other.
• Drop directly to the ground after pausing for five to ten breaths.

Dvpada dhanurasana or bridge bow pose

What is Dvapada Dhanurasana ?

The yoga pose Dvapada Dhanurasana is classified as Intermediate. In English, this is called the Bridge Pose on the Elbow. In this position, the spine remains curved like a bow. All of our bodily weight is carried by our elbows and feet. This posture is made up of two words.

• Dvapada – bridge
• Dhanurasana – Elbow pose

These words come together to make a Bridge Pose on the Elbow.

Meaning –

• Hindi Means – Dwapada Dhanurasan
• Sanskrit means – dvapada dhanurasana
• English Means – Bridge Pose on Elbow

How to do Dvpada dhanurasana?

• You must lie on your back on the mat first.
• Now, you have to bend your leg with your knee. Keep your hips and heels close together.
• Now you have to elevate your lower back and take a breath.
• Ensure that your head and shoulders are touching the mat.
• It is necessary to carry the lower back from the palms.
• From the shoulder to the elbow, the fingers should make contact with the mat.
• You now have to take on this task.
• Throughout this, you must breathe evenly and gently.
• Finally, you have to quit this role.
• The newbie must hold for at least 20 to 30 seconds.
• More than 30 seconds but less than 60 seconds should be held in the intermediate.
• The expert will hold off for 120 seconds.

Padagusta Dhanurasana or big toe bow pose

What is Padagusta dhanurasana?

Among the many names for the Big Toe Bow are Padangusthasana and Dhanurasana. You need to have a strong handstand if you want to practice this challenging pose. Make sure to practise and build a nice, steady handstand if you’re not experienced with them. A very good backbend is the second need.

If you don’t have this, try strengthening and stabilising your spine with tools and positions like Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose). The third thing you need is a relieved mindset because if you press or tense too much in this stance, your body won’t open. Once you have these three things, you can start.

How to perform the Big Toe Bow?

• Place your hands on the mat and your arms out in front of you.
• Take a breath, then jump smoothly while gently pressing your pelvic floor to get your balance back.
• While keeping the handstand, take a few deep breaths.
• Once you have a stable push-up from the shoulders, release your breath as you begin to hollow your back.
• Press the shoulders and draw forward with the legs while keeping them extended. Gently flex your knee when you’ve achieved your maximum.
• While you are in this position, take a few deep breaths.

Dandayama dhanurasana or standing bow pose

What is Dandayama dhanurasana?

Dandayamana Dhanurasana is a modern variation of standing balancing that includes a backbend. The Sanskrit terms danda, which means “stick” or “people,” chandra, which means “bow,” and asana, which means “pose,” are the origin of the phrase. Beginners benefit from the dandayamana dhanurasana, or upright bow-pulling pose. The Standing Bow Pose, also known as the Lord of the Dance Pose, is a beautiful and energising pose.

How to Do the Standing Bow Pose?

• Start by putting your feet together in Mountain Pose.
• Keeping your knees together, flex one leg while drawing your foot behind you.
• Flex the same arm while keeping your elbow close to your side and your hand straight out to your side.
• With your thumb touching the sole and your fingers touching the top, reach back and grasp the inside of your foot.
• Straighten your foot up and back while keeping your free hand out in front of you, parallel to the ground.
• Hold the stance for a few moments, then release your foot and get back up. Attempt to release tension in a controlled manner rather than just letting yourself fall out of the pose.
• Repeat on the opposite side.

Eka pada Urdhva Dhanurasa (One-Legged Wheel Pose)

What is Eka pada Urdhva Dhanurasa ?

The Sanskrit term for the one-legged wheel posture is Eka pada urdhva dhanurasana. A modern take on the urdhva dhanurasana, the one-leg-up modern bridge position increases spinal flexibility. It reduces the buildup of fat in your oblique areas and enhances the respiratory system. This position also helps prevent osteoporosis.

How to do Eka pada Urdhva Dhanurasa?

• With your knees bent, shins straight, toes facing forward, and feet hip-distance apart, lie down on your back.
• Tighten your inner thighs, raise your hips, and bring your heels near to your glutes to engage your hamstrings.
• Draw your arms up so that your fingers face upwards, flex your elbows, and bring your hands down near your ears with your fingers facing the shoulders or slightly outward.
• Push up onto the top of your head with your hands and feet.
• From here, push down again to raise your head off the floor and straighten your arms.
• Squeeze your chest through the shoulder doorway and walk your feet in to shorten the position.
• Draw one foot closer to the centre, balance on it, pull the other leg against your chest with the toes pointing, and then straighten your leg.

Akarna Dhanurasana (Archer’s Yoga Pose)

What is Akarna Dhanurasana ?

Akarna Dhanurasana is a fantastic pose that is intermediate in difficulty and calls for more back force. This stance is entirely different from the traditional Dhanurasana.
In Akarna Dhanurasana, your body imitates aiming and stretching a bow’s strings, while in Dhanurasana, your body takes the shape of a bow. Akarna Dhanurasana is a more complicated stance than Dhanurasana. Your body forms a bow and arrow in this stance, which is how it got its name.

How to do Akarna Dhanurasana?

• First, find a comfortable seat on the ground with your legs straight in front of you. As you do this, maintain a straight head, shoulders, and back.
• Breathe deeply while placing your palms against your thighs.
• Now, release your breath and softly glide your left hand towards your left foot. Take hold of your left foot’s big toe with your left hand and draw it towards your face. During this, try to use your right hand to reach the big toe of your right foot, then grasp and hold it there.
• Breathe deeply and pull your left foot back from your face to your left ear.
• Exhale, take your hands off your foot, and slowly walk down your left leg to get back to your starting position.
• With your second leg, follow the identical procedures.

Which poses are not appropriate for a Dhanurasana?

• suffer from a weak heart
• high blood pressure
• hernia
• colitis
• peptic
• duodenal ulcers
• Migraine headache
• Injury to the neck

Conclusion

Bow Pose is a great yoga pose for improving posture, strengthening the back muscles, and increasing spinal flexibility. When done correctly with breath control and alignment, it can help release tension in the body and boost energy levels. As with any yoga pose, it’s important to pay attention to your body and adjust as necessary to prevent strain or injury. If you’re new to yoga, you may eventually involve the Dhanurasana and its variations in your daily routine.

Let’s pause as we wrap up our practice to acknowledge the strength, flexibility, and openness that the Bow Pose has helped us develop. Keep in mind that consistency and patience are necessary for yoga success. Keep this sense of strength and openness with you all day long. I experience a deep stretch in my spine and a feeling of openness in my chest after doing the Bow Pose.

FAQs

References

• Dhanurasana – The Bow Pose | Steps | Benefits | Learn Yogasanas Online | Yoga and Kerala. (n.d.). Yoga. https://www.keralatourism.org/yoga/reclining-postures/dhanurasana
• Dhanurasana Yoga  (Bow Pose) | Yoga Sequences, Benefits, Variations, and Sanskrit Pronunciation | Tummee.com. (2018, May 11). Tummee.com. https://www.tummee.com/yoga-poses/bow-pose
• EkhartYoga. (2021a, March 4). Bow Pose – Ekhart Yoga. Ekhart Yoga. https://www.ekhartyoga.com/resources/yoga-poses/bow-pose
• Shvasa Editorial Team. (2023, February 7). How To Practice Dhanurasana. https://www.shvasa.com/yoga-blog/how-to-practice-dhanurasana-bow-pose-steps
• Physiotherapist, N. P.-. (2024c, September 29). Dhanurasana: Health Benefits,variations and How to do ? Mobile Physiotherapy Clinic. https://mobilephysiotherapyclinic.in/dhanurasana-yoga-how-to-do/
• Dhanurasana (Bow Pose). (n.d.). MyYogaTeacher. https://myyogateacher.com/yoga-asana/dhanurasana