South Okanagan Yoga Academy Yoga Teacher Training Programs

Featured Asana

Instructions:

This asana is an excellent preparation for Dhanurasana, the Bow Pose. Start by laying flat on the stomach. Resting your chin on the floor and slightly gazing ahead, breathe in. On the exhale, lift the right arm up ahead of you and the left leg behind you. Breathe and hold, then when you exhale, release lowering the arm and leg down. Repeat again with the left arm and right leg. Feel free to raise your head as you raise the limbs but keep it in line with the spine. If feeling comfortable to do so, lift all four limbs and head off the floor so that you are resting on the upper abdomen to pelvic area. Breathe and when you exhale, release. This motion done repeatedly is sort of like a swimmer. To counter the pose you can continue to lay on your tummy on the floor or go into Child’s Pose (Pranatasana).

Benefits:

• Stretches ankles, calves, thighs and spine
• Helps to strengthen the spine
• Opens up the chest and throat
• Energizes the body and aids digestion
• Relieves mild depression and anxiety

Cautions:

• Knee or back issues/injury
• Neck issues/injury
• Pregnancy

Modifications

• For back issues, do not bend back as far. For knee issues, only perform Swimmer Pose and not full Bow Pose
• For Neck issues, keep gaze on the floor, and do not over extend the neck
• For Pregnancy, do not perform this pose because of the pressure on the abdominal area.