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Restorative yoga poses and hatha yoga stretches

English name: Side Bow Pose
Sanskrit name: Parsva Dhanurasana

Difficulty level: Intermediate

Technique

1. Lie flat on the stomach, chin on the floor with the arms by the sides of the body and the legs straight and together.
2. With the knees apart, bend the legs at the knee bringing the feet towards the buttocks.
3. Grasp the ankles from the outside with the arms straight, rolling the shoulder blades back and together to open the chest.
4. Lift the feet up and away from the buttocks. The action should lift the thighs and upper body off the floor so that only the lower abdomen or, if possible, the pelvis supports the entire body weight.
5. Keep the back, arms and shoulders relaxed only the leg muscles are active to hold the position.
6. Inhale and carefully shift the body weight to the right to roll onto the right side.
7. Hold the position for 10 - 20 seconds.
8. Shift the body weight back to the left to return to the central position.
9. Repeat the pose on the left side.
10. Slowly lower the legs back towards the buttocks, release the ankles back down to the floor.

Breathing

• Inhale to energise.
• Exhale while lifting into the pose.
• Inhale while rolling to the side.
• Breathe normally in the final position.
• Inhale while returning to the central position.
• Exhale while relaxing back to the ground.

Benefits

• Digestive System - The asana massages the abdominal organs and muscles including the kidneys, liver and pancreas. Helps to relieve constipation and improve liver function.
• Respiratory - The opening of the chest helps to strengthen the diaphragm and build lung capacity.
• Anatomical - Dhanurasana helps to align vertebrae and discs in the spine and stretches back ligaments, muscles and nerves for the treatment of slipped disks and relief from back pain. Dhanurasana is effective in straightening upper spine hunches.

Counter Pose

• Any forward bending or twisting asana.