Wheel Pose

Urdhva Dhanurasana

OORD-vah dah-noo-RAH-sah-nah

A deep, energizing backbend that opens the entire front body -- from the chest and shoulders to the hip flexors and quadriceps. Wheel Pose is one of the most powerful backbends in yoga, requiring strength, flexibility, and courage in equal measure. It stimulates the cardiovascular system, boosts energy, and counteracts the effects of prolonged sitting and forward-bending.

How to do Wheel Pose

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Walk your feet close to your sitting bones so you can graze your heels with your fingertips.
2. Place your hands on the floor beside your ears, fingers pointing toward your shoulders, elbows pointing up. Press the feet firmly into the floor.
3. On an inhale, press through your hands and feet to lift your hips and torso off the floor. Pause at the crown of the head to check alignment before fully pressing up.
4. Straighten your arms as much as possible and press the chest through the arms, opening the shoulders. Keep your thighs parallel and feet parallel (avoid turning the toes out).
5. Let your head hang naturally and breathe deeply for three to five breaths. To come down, tuck the chin and slowly lower the back of the head, then the upper back, then the lower back to the mat.

Benefits of Wheel Pose

• Opens the chest, shoulders, and entire front body
• Strengthens the arms, wrists, legs, and spine
• Stimulates the thyroid and pituitary glands
• Increases energy and counteracts fatigue
• Improves spinal flexibility and posture

Muscles Engaged

Modifications & Variations

• Use Bridge Pose as a preparation and alternative while building strength and flexibility
• Place blocks against a wall under the hands to reduce wrist extension
• Practice pushing up onto the crown of the head first to build arm strength before fully extending

Cautions

• Avoid with serious back injuries, carpal tunnel, or wrist problems
• Not recommended with uncontrolled high blood pressure or heart conditions
• Use caution with shoulder impingement or rotator cuff injuries