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Restorative yoga poses and hatha yoga stretches

English name: Wheel Pose
Sanskrit name: Chakrasana

Difficulty level: Basic

Technique

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent so that your feet are next to your hips.
2. Place your palms on the floor next to your head, a little more than shoulder width apart, fingers pointing towards your feet.
3. Inhale.
4. As you exhale push down with your arms and legs to lift your back off the floor.
5. If necessary, first come up with the top of your head on the floor, inhale and as you exhale again straighten you arms and legs to arch your back upwards.
6. Push down with your arms until they are straight.
7. If your arms are straight you can deepen the stretch by walking your hands and feet together.
8. You can straighten your legs by pushing you upper body towards your arms.
9. Relax your neck so you are looking at the floor.
10. Breathe normally as you hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Breathing

• Inhale to energise.
• Exhale as you push yourself up from the ground.
• Breathe normally in the final position. Slince the chest is opened, it is natural to take shorter quicker breaths in Chakrasana
• Exhale as you relax to the ground.

Benefits

• Anatomical - strengthens the arms, shoulder and leg muscles. Stretches and opens the spine. The stretch to the spine and abdomen is beneficial to the nervous and digestive systems.

Counter Pose

• Any forward bend.

Notes

• Chakrasana requires open shoulder and good arm strength as well as back flexibility. Build back flexibility with bridge pose. Hold Chakrasana for as long as possible to strengthen your arms.