Chakrasana

Other Names

Circle Pose, Full Wheel Posture, Full circle, Purna Chakra Asan, Puma Chakrasana, Up-ward Bow Posture, Back-bend Pose, Half Wheel Asana, Adha/ Adho Dhanur Asan, Urdhva Dhanurasana

Description

Chakrasana is the most important and fundamental backbend. In this pose, you have to lie on your back and push up, balancing just on the hands and feet. This pose is called a bridge. A back limber is a skill in which the pose is achieved by bending backward from a standing position.

How to reach the stretch

• Lie facing upward on the floor.
• Bend your knees and set your feet on the floor, heels as close to the sitting bones as possible.
• Bend your elbows and spread your palms on the floor beside your head. Forearms relatively perpendicular to the floor, fingertips pointing towards shoulders.
• While inhaling, slowly begin to raise the head, back and buttocks off the floor while arcing the spine.
• Hold for the duration of the held inhaled breath.

How to release the stretch

• When you can’t hold the breath comfortable any longer, slowly exhale and return the back to the floor.
• Slide the legs out straight returning to the shavasan.

Benefits

• Strengthens the arms, wrists, buttocks, abdomen and spine.
• Stretches the lungs and chest.
• Stimulates the thyroid and pituitary.
• Increases energy and counteracts depression.
• Therapeutic for asthma, back pain, infertility and osteoporosis.

Caution

Not for the persons, who have back injury, carpel tunnel and syndrome, diarrhoea, headache, heart problems, high or low blood pressure.

Next: Ardha-Bhujangasana