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Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Chakrasana(Urdhva Dhanurasana),Wheel pose or Upward Bow Pose

The name comes from the Sanskrit words Chakra meaning "wheel",and Asana meaning "posture" or "seat".
Chakrasana is also sometime known as Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose).

Iyengarji in Chakrasana position


There are two versions of chakrasana: the standing chakrasana (Wheel pose) and the supine chakrasana.

Chakrasana - The standing posture:


Chakrasana is a basic pose for beginners and is said to improve the elasticity of the spine and the flexibility of the hip joints. Yoga proponents say that the regular exercise of this asana makes the body resilient, the waist slim. It is also said to be helpful in removing the rigidity of the joints of the ribcage and increasing the capacity of lungs.


The Supine Chakrasana :
In the final poses of the supine chakrasana the posture resembles that of a wheel rim. This is an intermediate pose not recommended for beginners. It is said to be beneficial in exercising several parts of the body simultaneously in a short time. It exercises the neck, arms, wrists, fingers, spine, backside, thighs, knees, ankles and the feet. Strengthens the muscles and organs of the pelvic and abdominal area.

Practicing the Pose:
* Lie supine on the floor. Bend the knees and set the feet on the floor, heels as close to the sitting bones as possible.
* Bend the elbows and spread the palms on the floor beside the head, forearms relatively perpendicular to the floor, fingers pointing toward the shoulders.
* Pressing the inner feet actively into the floor, exhale and push the tailbone up toward the pubis, firming (but not hardening) the buttocks, and lift the buttocks off the floor.
* Keep the thighs and inner feet parallel. Take 2 or 3 breaths. Then firmly press the inner hands into the floor and the shoulder blades against the back and lift up onto the crown of the head.
* Keep the arms parallel. Take 2 or 3 breaths.
* Press the feet and hands into the floor, tailbone and shoulder blades against the back, and with an exhalation, lift the head off the floor and straighten the arms.
* Turn the upper thighs slightly inward and firm the outer thighs. Narrow the hip points and lengthen the tailbone toward the backs of the knees, lifting the pubis toward the navel.
* Turn the upper arms outward but keep the weight on the bases of the index fingers. Spread the shoulder blades across the back and let the head hang, or lift it slightly to look down at the floor.
* Stay in the pose anywhere from 5 to 10 seconds or more, breathing easily. Repeat anywhere from 3 to 10 times. 


Variations in Chakrasana:
Viparita Chakrasana Iyengarji
Eka-Pada-Chakrasana Iyengarji
Poorna-Eka-Pada-Chakrasana

Benefits:
1.The asana stretches the chest and lungs
2.The arms and wrists, legs, buttocks, abdomen, and spine gets strengthened.
3.Stimulates the thyroid and pituitary
4.Increases energy and counteracts depression
5.Therapeutic for asthma, back pain, infertility, and osteoporosis

1 comment:

  1. It's an effective post on Urdhva Dhanurasana that seems to be in detail which will be good in understanding and to follow for the more health benefits, Thanks for the innovative content.

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