Pairs with
Pose · D
Bow Pose
Dhanurāsana
Lying face down, the ankles are caught from behind with the hands so the body bends into a bow with the belly as the string. Bow is the strongest backbend in this library and the one that most needs a slow, unimpressive first attempt.
The shape, with joint angles
The angles are measured on the drawn skeleton and change with the variant you pick. Treat them as a starting reference, not a target to force.
Specification
| Sanskrit | Dhanurāsana |
|---|---|
| Also called | Dhanurasana |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Loads | Spine · Chest · Quadriceps · Shoulders |
| Props | Mat · Blanket · Strap |
| Typical hold | 15 sec |
| Gaze | |
| Published | 4 November 2026 · By The Asana Desk |
Getting in
- 01
Lie face down with the legs hip-width apart and the arms alongside the body.
- 02
Bend both knees and bring the heels toward the buttocks, keeping the knees hip-width apart.
- 03
Reach back with one hand and then the other to catch the ankles or the tops of the feet from the outside.
- 04
Inhale and press the feet back into the hands while the hands pull gently — the two forces are what lifts the chest.
- 05
Lift the chest and the thighs a little at a time, letting the back muscles do the lifting rather than the arms.
- 06
Keep the neck long, the gaze forward and down, and the breath moving into the back of the ribs.
- 07
Hold for three to five breaths, then release the ankles and lower slowly, one side at a time.
Working notes
The two forces, and why the arms are not the answer
| Reach | How | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Ankles caught | Hands hold the ankles from outside | Full expression, easiest to overdo |
| Tops of the feet | Hands hold the feet, toes pointed | Slightly easier on the knees |
| Strap around both feet | Both hands hold the strap | No grip limit; the pose is the same shape |
| One side at a time | Catch one ankle, other leg down | Half the load, much easier to breathe in |
The shape is created by opposition: the feet press back into the hands and the hands resist, and the spine is what gets extended in the middle. Pulling with the arms instead collapses the shoulders forward and puts the neck at the end of a long lever.
If the hands cannot reach the ankles, a strap around both feet removes the problem entirely and lets the two forces work from further apart. That is a better version of the pose for most people than forcing the grip.
What to do about the knees and the lower back
The knees are in a deep bend and are the joint most likely to complain, particularly if the knees splay wide. Keeping them hip-width apart keeps the load in the right place; letting them spread turns the pose into a hip opener and makes the lower back work harder.
The lower back is loaded here in a way Cobra does not load it, because the legs are also lifting. That is why three to five breaths is a real hold, and why anyone with a history of lower back trouble should start with the one-sided version or use a strap.
Self-checks
- Are the knees staying hip-width apart?
- Is the neck long, or is the head thrown back?
- Are the feet pressing into the hands rather than the hands pulling on the feet?
- Is the breath reaching the back of the ribs?
Safety
Skip or heavily modify the pose if any of these apply to you. When in doubt, ask a teacher who can see you move, or a clinician who knows your history.
- Lower back injury, sciatica or a disc problem: skip Bow and work on Cobra or Sphinx first.
- Knee injury: reduce the bend, keep the knees hip-width, or use the one-sided version.
- Recent rib injury or a history of rib stress fractures: avoid strong backbends entirely.
- Pregnancy: skip this pose.
- High blood pressure or heart conditions: keep the depth small and the hold very short.
- Stop immediately if you feel pinching in the lower back rather than a broad stretch.
This page is informational only. It is not medical advice and no pose here is a treatment for any condition.
- A strap around both ankles, held with both hands, if the hands and the feet will not meet.
- Half bow: one leg at a time, with the other leg staying on the floor.
- A blanket under the hips, which reduces the depth of the backbend.
- Legs bent with the knees wide, if the lower back is the limiting factor rather than the quadriceps.
Useful propsMat · Blanket · Strap
- A strap is the most useful prop here by a long way; it removes the grip from the equation entirely.
- A folded blanket under the hips takes some of the depth out without changing the shape.
- A blanket under the knees, if the kneeling setup is uncomfortable before the pose begins.
- Lower back injury, sciatica or a disc problem: skip Bow and work on Cobra or Sphinx first.
- Knee injury: reduce the bend, keep the knees hip-width, or use the one-sided version.
- Recent rib injury or a history of rib stress fractures: avoid strong backbends entirely.
- Pregnancy: skip this pose.
- High blood pressure or heart conditions: keep the depth small and the hold very short.
- Stop immediately if you feel pinching in the lower back rather than a broad stretch.
Breathe into the back of the ribs; three to five slow breaths is the full hold.
- If the breath is held, the pose has become a grip — come down and rest.
- Exhale as you release the ankles, and lower the legs one at a time.
- Do not push deeper on a held breath; the depth comes from the exhale.