Dhanurasana
Geometry: Chest and Legs are Lifted. The feet and legs are slightly apart. The arms are stretched straight to reach the ankles. The entire body is curved like a bow and is held with the arms as if forming a string to bend the bow.
First Teaching:
Lie on the abdomen, roll the fronts of the thighs in, bend the knees and bring the feet towards the buttocks.
Take the arms behind and catch hold of the ankles, right ankle with the right hand and left ankle with the left hand.
Grip the ankles, raise the chest, knees and thighs up away from the floor.
The body rests on the lower abdominal area. The ribs and thighs do not touch the floor.
Lift the head and look up.
Possible Second Teachings:
1. Externally rotate the upper arms. Take the outer shoulders back and broaden the collarbones. Take the shoulder blades into the back to lift the chest.
2. Keep a firm grip on the ankles and use resistance between the legs and the arms to help raise the legs and the chest further.
3. Roll the front thighs in and extend from the outer hip to the outer knees to draw the knees towards one another and lift the legs. Extend the shins back.
4. Press the sacrum to the floor and increase the arch that is formed by the arms and the legs.
5. Roll the back thighs out to broaden the sacrum and lower back. Relates to teaching point #3.
Learn to raise the arch of the body up giving a backward pull to the arms. Balance on the abdominal area. - Geeta Iyengar, Yoga In Action Preliminary Course
Common Issues:
The weight of the body tilts onto the pubis. To Correct – Lift the thighs and take the weight onto the abdomen.
Cannot reach the feet – To correct - place a looped strap around each ankle.
Chest is collapsed – To correct – roll the outer shoulders back and broaden the collarbones. Take the inner shoulder blades into the back.
Arms are not stretched straight – To correct – reach through the arms and extend the shins back
Lower back is overarched – To correct – lengthen the tailbone towards the knees and down towards the floor. Press the sacrum down. Extend the shins backward.
Knees splay apart – To correct – roll the inner thighs in, extend from the outer hips to the outer knees draw the knees towards one another.
Inner Ankles are collapsed – To correct – reach the inner ankles up towards the ceiling and draw the outer ankles in towards one another.
Head hangs down – To correct – lengthen the back of the neck and lift the head.
Weight of the body is on the ribs – To correct – reach back through the shins and lift the chest.
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