Yoga Bow Pose

Video Transcript

"Ok, floor bow. This pose happens in most beginning yoga classes, even though I personally believe that it is beyond the ability of most beginners. I'm going to see if I can teach you how to do it safely and effectively and to work your way into it so that you don't hurt yourself. Floor bow is a back bend, you start on your belly. In this pose we're going to grasp the ankles and the idea is to kick the feet back into the hands, lift the heart and rise into a bow shape. Problem is, is that that's nearly impossible for somebody who sits at a desk eight hours a day or more. This is the way I like to work into it. I like to bring one arm down to the floor so I'm supporting myself on my forearm and then the first thing I do is stretch the quad thusly, no big deal. The important thing here is that I'm not sinking into my shoulder. I'm staying lifted and I'm trying to keep my shoulders squarish. So I'm going to stretch both my quads before I move into my floor bow, and then while I'm breathing I'm not holding my breath. Shocker! And then I'm going to do one leg at a time into my bow inhaling a couple breaths there and exhaling. Inhaling, a couple breaths here, gently exhaling the leg down. Then when I'm feeling very open and very ready, I'm going to inhale lifting both legs up. Not letting the knees come out, keeping them together allowing the shoulder blades to be drug back in together, and allowing the heart to open. Three to five breaths here exhale as you come down, don't ever stop the breath. Support yourself with the breath, and in the belly make sure your alignment is on, and when your done return to your belly, give yourself a little rest and prone shavasana."