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HW: Peak Pose
Bow Pose is a pose that when practiced consistently can help strengthen your back and open the shoulders chest. Before moving into bow pose you will need to warm up your shoulders and chest, abdominals, hip flexors, wrists, and back.
Some great poses to help warm up the body and prepare your body for bow pose.
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Moving through several rounds of cat/cow
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Cobra and upward facing dog
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Low lunge
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Warrior 1 and 2 along with variations
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Puppy pose
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Locust and superman
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Upward facing plank
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Bridge pose
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Camel pose
Transitioning into Bow Pose
Locust provides a natural transition into bow pose as bow pose is a bound version of locust. Puppy or cobra pose also provide a good transition into bow pose as a nice back stretch and chest or shoulder opener before sliding onto your stomach and moving into the peak pose.
Bow Pose
For bow pose, come to rest on your stomach with legs straight behind and arms resting at your sides. Bend the knees and reach back with your hands to grab your ankles. Inhale deeply and on the exhale kick the feet back away from your hands, lifting the legs and chest off the mat. Squeeze the knees together and gaze forward. Breath here and rock with the breath, massaging the abdomen.
Alternatives
If you are new to yoga and looking to work up to bow pose some good poses to practice are bridge and camel as they are a similar pose but in a different orientation. In bridge pose you are laying on your back and in camel pose you are kneeling. Locust variations as well as superman are more accessible variations on bow pose which are also done when laying on your stomach. Practicing these poses can help build your flexibility so bow pose is available to you.
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1 Reply
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Yesss!
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