Category: Backbends
Level: intermediate
Hold: 3–5 breaths
Type: Asana
Breath: Inhale to lift and kick; breathe into the back of the ribs while holding.

Bow Pose

Dhanurasana — "bow posture"

Lying on your belly, you catch your ankles and let leg power draw the chest open — the body curved like an archer's bow. The kick of the legs, not the pull of the arms, creates the shape.

Step by step

1Lie on your belly and bend your knees, bringing your heels toward your hips.
2Reach back and take hold of the outside of each ankle — not the tops of the feet.
3Keep your knees roughly hip-width apart.
4On an inhale, kick your feet firmly back into your hands.
5Let that kick lift your chest and thighs off the floor together.
6Keep your shoulders drawing back and your gaze softly forward.
7Exhale to release the ankles and lower down slowly, resting on one cheek.

Benefits

✓ Deeply opens the chest, shoulders, and front of the thighs
✓ Strengthens the back muscles and glutes
✓ Stretches the hip flexors and abdomen
✓ Improves spinal mobility for deeper backbends

Make it yours

· Loop a strap around each ankle if reaching them is a strain
· Practice half bow — one leg at a time — with the free forearm on the mat
· Place a folded blanket under the hip bones for comfort

Take care

Take care with a recent back or shoulder injury
Avoid prone backbends during pregnancy
Skip or soften this pose if lying on the abdomen is uncomfortable after eating

This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.

Practiced in

Props that help here

Cork blocks (set of 2) — Bring the floor closer in lunges, folds, and triangle — and a block between the shoulder blades turns a backbend into something you can hold. find one
Bolster — The single best restorative purchase. Under the knees, under the spine, or lengthwise under the back to open a gentle supported backbend. find one

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