Dhanurasana

Dhanurasana is derived from the Sanskrit word dhanur meaning a bow and asana meaning posture.

Instructions: Lie flat on your stomach, keeping your feet hip-width apart and your arms beside your body. Now, gently fold your knees and hold your ankles. While inhaling raise the thighs, head and chest as high as possible balancing the weight of the body on the lower abdomen. Join the ankles. Look upward and breathe normally and hold the pose for 15-20 seconds. Exhale and release the pose.

Benefits:

• It strengthens your shoulders, arms, neck, abdomen, back, thighs & hamstring muscles.
• It energizes the body
• It helps improve stomach disorders.
• It helps in reducing abdominal fat.
• It regulates the pancreas and is recommended for people with diabetes.
• It expands the thoracic region of the chest.
• It alleviates a hunchback.
• It increases the appetite.

Caution:

• Should be avoided by persons suffering from high blood pressure, back pain, headache or migraine.
• It is strictly prohibited for people who have undergone abdominal surgery.
• Should be avoided by women during pregnancy and menstruation.