Degree Up Your Yoga Apply With This Traditional Backbend: Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)

Wherever chances are you’ll be sitting to learn this text, first briefly test in together with your posture: had been you conscious of the form of your backbone earlier than studying this sentence?

One of the vital often-cited advantages individuals expertise from practising yoga is bigger mindfulness and physique consciousness; and, the place posture is worried, most of us may use a little bit of assist with that! Working towards again bends and heart-opening yoga poses is a implausible option to focus your consideration on backbone and posture, whereas constructing energy and suppleness on the identical time.

We additionally know that back-bends can look impressively intimidating to newbie yoga college students, which is probably going why you’ve discovered your manner right here, on the lookout for steering! On this pose breakdown, you’ll study step-by-step directions for this traditional back-bending Wheel Pose, so you’ll be able to safely follow this intermediate yoga posture.

You would possibly hear this pose known as by one among two Sanskrit names: Chakrasana (coming from the Sanskrit phrase for wheel, chakra), or its extra frequent identify Urdhva Dhanurasana (upward bow pose). When it comes to physique place, you’ll discover that Wheel varieties the identical form as common Bow Pose (Dhanurasana), simply flipped round! Usually, you’ll follow Wheel Pose as a peak pose in a heart-opening yoga sequence; in case you are extra superior in your yoga journey nevertheless, Wheel is usually a preparatory pose for different inversions or again bends.

Nonetheless not sure if Wheel Pose needs to be in your yoga wheelhouse? When you uncover all the advantages of this asana, you’ll positively be impressed to present it a strive!

Advantages of Wheel Pose

Given the prevalence of sedentary habits in right now’s society, it’s extra vital than ever to make certain you keep energy and mobility as you age. As a heart-opening posture, you’ll be able to guess that Wheel Pose opens up your chest and higher again, to assist reverse the adverse results of sitting and slouching. However as quickly as you strive it for your self, you’ll notice Urdhva Dhanurasana is a pose that stretches and tones your complete physique! Right here’s what you’ll be able to anticipate to expertise with common follow of Wheel Pose:

• stronger gluteus maximus, leg muscle tissues (hamstrings), arms, again, and shoulders
• extra open shoulders and chest muscle tissues
• better-flowing power within the entrance physique by way of stretching the stomach muscle tissues and hip flexors
• better spinal mobility, lowering again ache
• improved digestion by way of stretching the stomach to stimulate inside organs
• higher posture, reversing the overly-rounded higher again brought on by sitting at a desk for a lot of hours
• enhanced temper and elevated power
• higher proprioception (the sense of the place your physique is in house) and physique consciousness
• extra opened thoughts, with the power to shift your perspective

Now you’ll be able to see that Wheel Pose is wonderful to your physique from each aspect — entrance to again, prime to toe, and head to coronary heart. Strive it out for your self by following the directions within the subsequent part!

How To Apply Wheel Pose

Under you’ll discover step-by-step directions with detailed alignment cues for practising Wheel Pose. In case this can be a new posture for you in your follow, we’ve damaged it into down into three phases; in case you are nonetheless increase energy and suppleness, you’ll be able to pause at Part 1 or 2, reasonably than forcing your self right into a Full Wheel form when your physique is probably not prepared.

Take your time with every step to make certain you are feeling the right alignment and muscle engagement. Lastly, hearken to your physique: if Full Wheel pose feels too intense, return to the earlier step and work from there, constructing energy and confidence.

1. Start by mendacity in your again in your yoga mat. Bend your knees and place your toes flat on the ground at a hip width distance, aligned beneath your knees.
2. Carry your arms and bend your elbows to carry your arms to the ground simply above your shoulders, together with your fingertips pointing in the identical path as your toes. Press your palms into the ground.
3. Take a breath in; then, as you exhale, interact your core by pulling your navel in and up.
4. Part 1: Press firmly by way of the soles of your toes; as you inhale, squeeze your glutes and elevate your hips, as in Bridge Pose. Energetically kick your heels again in direction of your glutes to have interaction your hamstrings. Exhale.
5. Part 2: Together with your subsequent inhale, press into your arms to elevate your shoulders up and chest up off the ground. Hold your elbows hugging in Let your head drop again in order that the crown of your head simply touches the ground, with out an excessive amount of weight positioned on the neck. Exhale. (This place is usually known as Half Wheel Pose).
6. Part 3: With yet another inhale, elevate up into the total expression of Wheel Pose: push the ground away to straighten your arms, lifting your head off the ground. Hold your elbows and interior thighs squeezing in towards your midline.
7. Gaze straight again and press your chest open in the identical path — take into consideration urgent your rib cage away out of your hips. Proceed to elevate up and out of your shoulder joints, protecting house between your shoulders and ears. Draw your shoulder blades collectively and press by way of your toes so your chest strikes backward barely, over your arms, to increase by way of your higher again.
8. Maintain your fullest expression of Wheel Pose for 5-10 breaths. If you end up able to exit the pose, stat to bend your elbows and tuck your chin as you decrease your self right down to your mat with management, rolling down one vertebra at a time.
9. As soon as your again and hips are resting in your mat, carry your arms again down by your sides and take a counterpose, hugging your knees into your chest, or together with your legs prolonged straight into Savasana.

Alignment Professional-Ideas and Instructing Cues

Tip #1: preserve your knees aligned with the hips, and your toes pointing ahead. In case your knees drop collectively or splay out to the edges, you danger damage to your knee.

Tip #2: attempt to really feel an excellent curve all through your complete backbone, to keep away from feeling compression within the lumbar backbone (decrease again).

Tip #3: the backbend of Wheel will really feel extra intense you probably have your toes near your physique. When simply beginning out in Wheel pose, begin together with your toes simply past your fingertips when your arms are at your sides. As soon as you’re up in Full Wheel, you probably have the flexibleness, then you’ll be able to stroll your toes nearer to your shoulders.

Contraindications

Being an intense backbend and full physique stretch, there are a number of instances during which you need to skip or substitute Urdhva Dhanurasana. These circumstances embrace:

• Spinal damage or latest again surgical procedure
• Bulging or herniated discs
• Damage to the wrists, shoulders, or elbows (together with carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis)
• Glaucoma; blood dashing to the top in inverted poses may cause extra strain within the eyes)
• Headache or migraine, dizziness
• Being pregnant; chances are you’ll danger growing diastasis recti the place the stomach muscle tissues separate, during which case you’ll be able to strive Bridge Pose or Camel Pose in its place

Modifications for Wheel Pose

Irrespective of the place you’re in your follow, utilizing yoga props is usually a implausible manner to supply assist within the deep backbend of Wheel Pose. Listed here are just a few methods you can also make this asana extra accessible and cozy for you.

Yoga Wheel

A yoga wheel is a round formed prop utilized in many sorts of motion, which supplies assist particularly for the backbone. In case you are unable to straighten your arms in Upward Bow Pose (Wheel), place a yoga wheel beneath your mid and decrease again. Then, bend your elbows and grip the edges of the wheel.

Want a advice for a yoga wheel? We’ve reviewed a number of right here that will help you discover the proper match for what you want.

Blocks and a Wall

To alleviate strain out of your wrists, you should use two blocks below your arms. Place the blocks in opposition to a wall at a 45-degree angle. As you elevate up into Wheel Pose, straighten your arms and press your wrists, forearms, and chest in direction of the wall.

Yoga Strap

When studying right alignment for Urdhva Dhanurasana, you’ll be able to loop a yoga strap round your higher arms. It will enable you study to maintain your elbows hugging in towards your physique reasonably than splaying out to the edges, which is a standard mistake newcomers make.

Variations Of Wheel Pose

In case you are unable to follow inversions as a consequence of a medical situation, or you probably have wrist ache, substitute Wheel Pose for one among these different back-bending yoga poses to achieve most of the identical advantages.

Bow Pose

Because the identify suggests, Bow Pose is basically the inverse of Wheel Pose (Upward Bow). The physique form is kind of related, however in Bow Pose you’re balancing in your stomach, reasonably than your arms and toes.

To study extra about Bow Pose together with detailed follow directions, go to our All About Bow Pose article!

Camel Pose

Camel is one other again bending asana you’ll be able to strive if inversions aren’t potential for you in the intervening time. You’ll expertise the identical spinal extension whereas opening the chest and shoulders, with out bearing a lot weight in your wrists.

In case you’d prefer to strive Got here Pose however are not sure the place to begin, take a look at our Information to Camel Pose and observe the step-by-step directions.

Preparatory Poses

Wheel Pose is a deep backbend which calls to your complete physique to be sufficiently warmed up, in any other case you run the chance of damage. So, ensure you are taking your self by way of strong follow, together with Cat/Cow Pose and a few Solar Salutations, which is able to assist mobilize your backbone and get your complete physique working.

Whilst you heat as much as your peak pose of Upward Bow Pose, attempt to embrace the next preparatory poses as properly. We’ve beneficial these particular poses that will help you safely and progressively work as much as Wheel Pose.

Pet Canine Pose

Pet Pose is a implausible heart-opening pose that may soften your chest and shoulders, permitting you to securely enter Wheel Pose and transfer right into a deeper stretch in your higher again.

In case you’ve by no means practiced Pet Canine Pose earlier than, study all about it right here!

Dolphin Pose

Dolphin Pose will assist strengthen your higher physique and activate the muscle tissues of your arms and shoulders, which shall be put to work while you elevate your physique up into Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel).

Try our Dolphin Pose information when you’d like a reminder on correct alignment of this chest and shoulder activating asana!

Bridge Pose

Bridge is a necessary constructing block of Upward Bow Pose, making this posture an important of those preparatory poses — positively don’t skip it! With Bridge, you’ll arrange your right alignment for Wheel whereas warming up your backbone with a much less intense backbend.

Want a refresher on methods to get into Bridge? Observe the directions detailing correct type in our Bridge Pose article.

Half Wheel Pose

As talked about within the “How To Apply Wheel Pose” part of this text, Half Wheel generally refers to an in-between level between Bridge and Full Wheel, earlier than your push your self all the best way up into the whole backbend. Nevertheless, there may be additionally a standing backbend stretch often known as Half Wheel in some colleges of yoga.

To do that standing backbend by starting in Mountain Pose, standing on the prime of your mat with toes hip width aside. Carry your arms to your decrease again simply above your hips. As you breathe in, develop taller by way of the crown of your head. As you exhale, elevate your chest to the sky as you bend your higher physique backwards as you press your hips ahead. Maintain your standing backbend for 3-5 breaths, then interact your core to face upright, returning to Mountain Pose.

Counterposes to Observe Up Wheel Pose

The objective of a counter pose is to relaxation the muscle tissues that had been beforehand working. It’s not essential to do the exact opposite motion — for instance a ahead bend after a backbend — simply to carry the backbone into impartial place and let the physique relaxation. With that in thoughts, listed below are some beneficial counterposes to follow after Urdhva Dhanurasana.

Knees Into Chest

After you decrease down from Wheel Pose, this straightforward stretch will really feel nice in your again. Merely draw each knees in in direction of your chest, and wrap your arms across the outsides of your legs. Attempt to preserve your tailbone reaching ahead and down as you squeeze your legs in near your physique. Maintain for a few deep breaths, then launch your legs again right down to your mat.

Reclining Certain Angle

Right here’s one other stress-free and restorative counterpose which you can strive after Urdhva Dhanurasana. Decrease your physique down from Wheel Pose and convey your arms by your sides. Let your knees fall open in reverse instructions and convey the bottoms of your toes collectively.

If wanted, you’ll be able to view extra detailed directions for Reclining Certain Angle within the “Variations” part of this text.

Savasana

Typically practiced as a peak pose, Urdhva Dhanurasana may be an intense expertise because it stretches the entire physique, and opens the guts house. Because of this, Savasana is a wonderful option to follow after Wheel to permit your physique to combine the energetic shift you’ve simply skilled. Merely decrease your self right down to your mat and lengthen your legs; carry your arms to your sides together with your palms going through up and let your complete physique calm down.

To study extra about all of the fantastic advantages of Savanasa, learn our full information to Corpse Pose!

Superior Variations of Wheel Pose

As soon as you are feeling assured in your Wheel Pose and might comfortably maintain your full Wheel for not less than 10 breaths, you’re able to discover the pose by including one among these difficult variations.

One Legged Wheel

From traditional Wheel Pose, stroll your toes in just a little nearer in direction of your arms to shorten the pose. Place one foot barely nearer to your heart and floor your foot. Bend your different leg, drawing your knee in in direction of your chest. From there, lengthen your leg skyward. Keep within the pose for just a few breaths, then place your leg again down and swap sides.

Straight Legged Wheel

Come into traditional Urdhva Dhanurasana. Hold urgent into your arms and opening by way of your chest. Begin to progressively stroll your toes out (preserve them separated at hip distance), lengthening your stance till you’ll be able to absolutely straighten your legs.

Forearm Wheel

Deepen your backbend much more by decreasing right down to your forearms from conventional Wheel Pose. Begin by shortening your stance a bit, transferring your toes barely nearer towards your arms (keep in mind to maintain your toes separated at hip distance). Hold hugging your thighs inwards and squeeze your shoulder blades collectively as you decrease down one arm at a time with management. Your forearms and elbows needs to be positioned a shoulder distance aside.

To exit the pose, reverse the method and place one palm at a time on the ground to press again up with straight arms into Urdhva Dhanurasana.

Widespread Questions About Wheel Pose