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There are comfortable asanas in yoga, but there are, to put it mildly, not so much. You spin and spin around the mat, postponing the exercise, and … you still land. After all, what you least want to do, as a rule, you need the most. One such posture in yoga is the bow pose, Dhanurasana. Let’s talk about its benefits, harms and the correct execution technique!
The benefits of exercise
1. Dhanurasana refers to yoga postures that restore flexibility to the spine, and therefore prolong youth. Hence such positive aspects with the regular performance of the bow pose, as getting rid of tightness, the habit of stooping. Over time, posture improves, the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe collarbones is extended.
2. Asana helps to cope with back defects. For example, with a displacement of the vertebrae, but in this case, you need to do it only under the guidance of a yoga therapist!
3. Strengthens the muscles of the back and arms, opens the shoulder joints.
4. Gives a wonderful massage of the heart and all organs of the chest cavity. Improves lung function. They increase in volume, which means goodbye cough, bronchitis and other lung diseases.
5. The liver and kidneys are also massaged. Stimulates the work of the adrenal glands and pancreas.
6. Asana tones the abdominal organs. More blood flow begins to go to them, this has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the stomach and intestines. The bow pose improves the press and relieves the waist of excess. Take note of this!
7. It also improves brain function, since during exercise it is saturated with oxygen.
8. Asana charges with energy and self-confidence. Still would! Not everyone will be able to bend in the lower back like that!
IMPORTANT!
All backbend asanas activate our nervous system. They involve the area of the adrenal glands, and this is our adrenaline system. The body turns on the sympathetic nervous system, which increases cardiac activity. Therefore, it is better not to perform asana before going to bed. And with caution it should be done to hypertensive patients – people with high blood pressure.
Photo: social networks
Exercise harm
1. So, the bow pose should not be done by hypertensive patients. But then again, why not? Under the supervision of an experienced instructor, it is possible, but very carefully, and if compensatory asanas are included in the set of exercises. Those poses that do not increase pressure – but, on the contrary, normalize it.
2. The bow pose is contraindicated for those who have a hernia and protrusion in the lumbar region.
3. Those who have hyperfunction of the thyroid gland.
4. Ulcer of the stomach or duodenum.
5. The bow pose should not be performed during pregnancy.
How to do bow pose
ATTENTION! The description of the exercise is given for a healthy person. It is better to start a lesson with an instructor who will help you learn the correct and safe bow pose. If you do it yourself, carefully watch our video tutorial! Wrong practice can be useless and even dangerous to the body.
Step by step execution technique
Step 1
Lie down on your stomach, bend your knees. Raise your shins up, put your hands behind your back and grab your ankles with them.
ATTENTION! Capturing from the outside
Step 2
We take a deep breath and with an exhalation we bend as much as possible, lifting the pelvis and chest from the floor. We take the head as far back as possible.
ATTENTION! The ribs and pelvic bones should not touch the floor. The weight of the body is on the belly.
Step 3
We remain in this position for as long as we can.
- For beginners, it is ideal if from 20 seconds to 1 minute.
- For those who have been practicing for a long time, we advise you to deepen the asana. To do this, you need to grab your hands not at the ankles, but at the shins!
Step 4
With an exhalation, release the ankles and, as slowly as possible, lower ourselves onto the mat and relax.
ATTENTION! After performing such a deep deflection, it is better to compensate in the form of a slope. The child’s pose is ideal for this, it will give the back muscles maximum relaxation and rest.
Is it necessary to endure discomfort during asana?
There is discomfort that we can deal with. And there is one that should not be tolerated. Let’s understand this difference.
Why is discomfort given in yoga when performing asanas? In order for us to renounce at this moment from everything external and concentrate on internal sensations. So we are not comfortable in asana. At this moment, we connect the breath, breathe deeply, relax. And this relaxation allows you to “go” deeper into the asana. This is the most valuable! There is even such a thing as “breathing discomfort.” If we feel that with breathing the posture becomes comfortable – even such a sweet pleasant sensation arises in the body – then we hold the position. It was an discomfort that had to be endured for a fraction of a second, and it turned out to be overcome.
But if discomfort pulls out of the asana, it becomes painful, you have to endure – this is a direct hint to get out of the asana. Either make it easier, or get out right away. Only very smoothly, without unnecessary jerks.
Women also need to remember that backbends are sometimes painful to do precisely on critical days. Take care of yourself, don’t stress too much.
Photo: social networks
Beginner Tips for Bow Pose
1. In the final pose, do not spread your knees to the sides. But! When you are just starting to raise your legs, then it is best not to compress your knees. You will find it difficult otherwise to lift them high. Only when the legs are as high as possible, begin to reduce both the hips, and the knees, and the ankles.
2. If your hands do not yet reach the ankles, use a belt. But this path is a double-edged sword. Yes, the belt will help you develop the flexibility of your spine, but it will weaken the main effect of the pose.
3. Helping asanas for this exercise, leading to it, are:
- cobra pose,
- locust or grasshopper pose,
- crocodile pose.
It is better to start with them, and then you will come to the bow pose naturally. Your body will be ready.
4. While in the asana, do not raise your shoulders to your ears! And make sure that the head does not tip back. This is a serious asana violation. The head should be an extension of the spine. Hold her!
5. Pay attention to your legs! They are your driving force, since the torso must be lifted up not by contracting the muscles of the back, but by forcefully straightening the legs.
6. While in the pose, imagine that your torso and legs are the body of the bow. And the hands are a stretched bowstring. And your task is to pull the bow as correctly and beautifully as possible! This will help you hold your position and make the arch more even.
Have a great practice!