No, that's not a caricature of me in the bow pose! (Hmm - I may consider it though for my book cover). Here's another book excerpt - my explanation of the bow pose - it's strenuous but doable....!
Bow (Sanskrit name –Dhanurasana; dhanu=bow)
Type of yoga pose: Intensive, powerful backbend, convex pose that bends the spine inward.
Body parts targeted: Lumbar area, spine, thigh muscles (you should really feel them!), abdominals, bustline, buttocks, and upper arms.
How to do the pose:
1. Lie on your stomach with your chin down on your mat with your arms
and hands at your sides and your legs straight. You body should be relaxed and limp (aah – that can feel so good, but don’t go to sleep!). Inhale and exhale deeply at least once.
2. Bring your toes and heels together; stay relaxed.
3. Bend both legs at your knees; bring your heels as close to your buttocks as possible.
4. Reach back with both hands and grasp each ankle with your respective hand (if you can’t grasp both ankles, grasp one ankle and perform the bow by alternating the feet each time until you build up enough strength and flexibility to grasp both ankles).
5. Inhale and slowly raise your knees and lift thighs as high as possible off the floor while simultaneously and gently raising your head and trunk off the floor. Your body should look like a bow and your arms should look and feel like a taut bowstring (having that image in your mind helps the stretch).
6. Keep your head back only as far as is comfortable (be certain not to strain your neck!) and keep your knees together if possible.
7. Hold the pose for the stipulated time and inhale and exhale normally.
8. Lower yourself in slow motion out of the bow by first releasing your legs and allowing them to move slowly back toward the mat starting with your knees, then followed by your trunk and head.
9. Return to your initial resting position on your stomach with chin down on the mat.
10. Your entire body should be limp as you rest for a moment before repeating the pose or moving on to the next pose.
Practice time: Start with 3 seconds max, add 1 or 2 seconds per week or as you find comfortable until you are holding until you can comfortably hold the pose for 12-15 seconds.
Number of repetitions: 1-2
Key benefits from this pose:
1. Strengthens, firms, and tones the abdominal, thigh, and arm muscles.
2. Helps reduce weight in the hips; tightens and eliminates extra fat from the back and buttocks.
3. Opens the chest and adjusts the sacroiliac and lumbar vertebrae.
4. Improves the posture and streamlines and firms bust muscles.
5. Improves spinal elasticity and flexibility.
6. Helps relieve menstrual disorders and lower back pain.
7. Enhances libido by stimulating the sex glands (sex becomes sexier!)
Special tips and Laura’s experience with this pose:
This is one of the most intense, challenging poses taught in this book and that I do daily. Sometimes, I can hold the bow for only 10 seconds, other times I can hold it for 15 seconds.
Lift your thighs off the ground with ideally with your knees together. If this is difficult, you can allow some space between your knees, but gradually work your way to keeping the knees together.
When I started this pose, and this is still true on some mornings when I awaken a bit stiff, I feel a strong stretch in my upper thighs just by bending my legs at the knees. Be patient and persistent and your comfort level will increase over time. After completely the pose you will likely hear your heart beating or you may feel slightly out of breath because you have been lifting your own body weight. Although strenuous, this pose is still feasible for the non-athlete like me. As you gain experience, you may choose to rock back and forth gently while holding the pose.
Cheers!
Laura
Copyright © 2010 by Laura Venecia Rodriguez