Urdhva Dhanurasana – Full wheel pose(Power Yoga Pose)

Urdhva Dhanurasana – Full wheel pose

Full wheel pose is the thirty-fifth Power Yoga Pose. Urdhva Dhanurasana also known as the Full Wheel or Upward Bow Pose, is an easy pose to perform with a backbend that helps you counteract depression and feelings of unhappiness while stretching and toning everything from your chest through your core musculature and spine. During each exercise, make sure to maintain a focus on your breathing.

How to do  Full wheel pose?

1. To keep feet parallel – If your proportions match the width of a block, you can place a block the long way between the inner soles of your feet, pressing the edge of the big toe as well as the edge of the inner heel into the block to keep awareness to parallel feet. Be sure that the block is wide enough to keep you at least hip-width distance with the feet.
2. To keep elbows parallel – Make a loop in the strap that is as wide as shoulder tip to shoulder tip. Place the strap around both of your arms, above the elbow (in the direction of the shoulder). Enter into the pose using the strap as guidance to keep elbows parallel. You may also press out into the strap to get extra lift.
3. To draw inner thighs towards one another – Place a block between your upper inner thighs (narrow width) and transition through the pose without releasing the block.
4. To aid in opening the chest and shoulders – At the wall, place two blocks shoulder width apart with the narrow side in contact with the wall. Set up for the pose, placing your hands onto the blocks so that the fingers are draping over the edge with the palm and balls of the hand firmly on the block. This will give you the extra height that may be missing if you are tighter through the shoulders and chest. If you are using wooden blocks, create slack in your yoga mat first so that you can wrap the end of the yoga mat over the blocks to prevent sliding. Also helps in opening the hip flexors or low back.

Benefits 

1. Expands your chest and shoulders
2. Stretches your hip flexors and core musculature
3. Stretches your wrist flexor muscles
4. Reinforces the muscles that control your shoulder blades
5. Strengthens your gluteus muscles of your hip and hamstrings at the back of your thighs
6. Supports your low back musculature
7. Relieves some forms of low back pain
8. Therapeutic for asthma, opening the accessory muscles of breathing
9. Stimulates the thyroid and pituitary glands
10. Counteracts depression and aid in infertility