Asana · Practise on your own
Dhanurasana
Bow pose
Bow pose. Lying on the front, holding the ankles and lifting into a bow.
Awaiting subject reviewWritten from our source material and not yet checked by a teacher of this practice. Read it as reference, and learn the practice from someone who teaches it.
- Meaning
- dhanu = bow, asana = seat or posture
- Family
- Backbend
- Level
- Intermediate
- Gaze
- Nose
Take care
Avoid with low back injury, recent abdominal surgery, or in pregnancy.
How it is done
- 1
Breathe out
Lie on the front, bend the knees and take hold of the ankles.
- 2
Breathe in
Press the ankles back into the hands to lift the chest and thighs.
- 3
Breathe freely
Stay for several breaths, then release on an exhale.
Holding it
Several breaths.
Making it easier
Hold one ankle at a time, or use a strap.
What the tradition says it does
- Opens the chest and front of the hips
- Strengthens the back
Sources and tradition
- YOG Union App Content Map, 2 November 2026, p. 4