Friday, August 15, 2008

The Bow (Dhanurasana)


The Bow is a backbend that is beneficial to numerous systems of the body. There are two ways to do this asana. The first starts laying on your stomach with your forehead on the mat, reach back and grab your ankles or your feet. They should come towards your buttocks. Taking several breaths here, you lift your head chest thighs of the ground so that the weight of your body is now resting on your abdomen. The arms should be as straight as possible. Try to hold steady and breathe here. The breaths should be through the nose and as full as you can handle. For a challenge you can allow the breath to rock you. when you inhale your body wants to lean forward and xhaling brings it back. The head and neck must remain still to prevent injury. We are working our back muscle in this asana or posture. The more advanced version requires rotation in the shoulders. When you lift up you grab the toesand rotate the shoulders so that the toes come closer to or touch the back of the head. The arch in the back is more intense and for me personally the massage on my intestines feels nicer.

The bow, when executed properly, assists in realigning the posture, keeping the spine flexible, and helping digestion to take place. Depending on the branch of yoga you practice, it is suggested that it helps the pancreas function more efficiently and can help with diabetes. Most of us do not have good posture and its great to do as much exercise as we can to combat its effects. It is said that a flexible spine is a youthful one. Flexibility in the spine helps us to stay young and we do not face some of the difficulties that come with old age. Your grandpa or grandma look shorter and they probably are. We lose muscle and bone mass as we age and if we are not physically active. Doing exercises that focus on the spine is a great preventative measure. When you put the weight of ur body on your abdomen you are massaging your intestines and encouraging better or complete digestion. This posture is a great way to alleviate constipation.

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