How to Do Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) in Yoga: Tips, Technique, Correct Form, Benefits and Common Mistakes

If you need a gentle backbend stretch to put your body in the mood for an early-morning yoga session, try the Bow Pose.

It’s an intermediate pose that opens the chest and stretches the shoulders, upper and lower back, and hamstrings. This pose is not just for yogis. In fact, any climber who spends hours on end in a crouching position can benefit from a Bow Pose sequence.

The pose is performed lying on the floor, raising your arms and legs while bending at the waist. If done correctly, this is an intense and deep stretch for your lower back and abdomen. Bow Pose can be particularly helpful after a day working at a computer, if you suffer from back pain.

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How to Do Bow Pose with Correct Form?

To perform the Bow Pose on a yoga mat or carpeted floor:

• Lie flat on your stomach. Relax your chin on the mat, and keep your hands at your sides.
• Your hands should be palm up. Exhale while you bend your knees, and bring your heels as close as you can to your buttocks.
• Your knees should be hip-width apart.Lift your hands, and take hold of your ankles. Make sure to hold the ankle rather than the top of the foot.
• Your fingers should wrap around the ankles, but your thumb does not touch them. Keep your toes pointed during the pose.
• While inhaling, lift your heels away from your buttocks, and hold onto your ankles while lifting your head, chest and thighs off the mat.
• At this point, only your core should be touching the mat, while the rest of your body is lifted up toward the ceiling. As you do that, rotate your shoulders safely and comfortably.
• Draw your tailbone toward the mat to deepen the stretch in your back as you feel it through your core.
• You should feel open and aligned as well as energised by this pose.
• Looking straight ahead, hold the pose for 15 to 20 seconds while focusing on stretching, breathing and balancing.
• Exhale when you release the pose, and lower your head, chest, thigh, and feet to the mat again. It's okay to inhale and exhale deeply while holding this pose. Repeat it as needed, or continue to your next pose.

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Tips and Techniques for Bow Pose

When practiced correctly, the Bow Pose energises and stretches the entire body.

To do this pose:

• Place a firm blanket beneath your hips for extra padding, if needed.
• Hold onto your ankles and not the top of your feet. Doing so will help prevent ankle, knee, and other leg injuries.
• During the pose, keep your knees within hip-width.
• If your knees splay wider than your hips, you may be compromising your spine.
• Spread the backbend evenly across your upper, middle and lower back.
• Keep breathing throughout the pose. Do not hold your breath.

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Benefits of Bow Pose

The Bow Pose stretches the entire front side of the body, strengthens every muscle in the back and opens the chest, abdomen, quadriceps, groins and hips. The pose also stimulates the organs that aid in digestion and reproduction, relieving constipation and menstrual discomfort as well.

A deep chest stretch also opens the lungs, relieving respiratory ailments. Energising and invigorating both body, mind and spirit, the Bow Pose helps relieve fatigue, stress and anxiety.

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Common Mistakes

To prevent injury and maintain proper form, avoid the following common mistakes:

Don’t hold the tops of your feet when you reach the back with your hands. If your hands slip, and you hit your chin or chest on the floor, you could get hurt.

It is important to keep your knees hip-width apart when you do the Bow Pose. If your knees are too close together, that may lead to discomfort in the back. It can also cause pain by forcing your hips to open more than they should be. Keeping your knees hip-width apart helps you maintain balance and keep a safe, comfortable position.

When you do the Bow Pose, make sure you rotate your shoulder slowly and carefully as you reach back and lift. If you rush through the movement, you might injure your shoulder or cause discomfort.

In some yoga moves, you'll be asked to hold your breath. In Bow Pose, you'll be instructed to exhale as you bend down, and inhale as you lift up. Holding your breath can restrict the chest from opening up completely.

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Bottom Line

The point of practicing yoga poses is to gradually gain flexibility and strength, which you can then apply to your daily life. To find success in your practice, you must be patient with yourself, not push yourself too hard, and remember that slow progress is progress as well.

If you're interested in challenging your body while adding a dash of spiritualism to your normal daily routine, give the Bow Pose (Dhanurasana) a try. It won't take too much time out of your day either; just a few minutes each morning will go a long way.