This week’s pose of the week is Bow Pose, Dhanurasana. Rest on the belly as you find balance between will and surrender.
Benefits:
Stretches the entire front body; quads, hip flexors, abdominals, chest and shoulders. Strengthens the back body; glutes, hamstrings and back.
How to:
- Begin on your belly with your forehead on the mat, palms by lower ribs and legs extended long hip distance apart with tops of feet on the floor.
- Bend the knees bringing the heels towards the sitting bones.
- Reach back for the outer edge of each ankle.
- Keep thighs, knees and ankles hip distance apart and parallel.
- Kick back into the hands to lift the thighs and chest.
- Balance on the navel.
- Engage the low belly and the glutes.
- Press the shoulder blades into the back of the heart as you energetically pull the sternum away from the navel.
- Gaze the same direction as the heart.
- Exhale release back onto the mat, windshield wiper the legs side to side and press back into child’s pose.
Modify it:
To assist the knees lifting off the floor place a folded blanket or towel under the knees. If you cannot reach both feet do one at a time keeping the opposite forearm on the floor and leg extended long or wrap a strap around the fronts of the ankles.