Dhanurasan
(Bow pose)
The world is going towards the information technology sector. Information technology has its advantages and disadvantages. The generation of mobiles and laptops impacted our life to a vast level. It deteriorated the health of an individual to an extent that the average death age reduced from 85 years to 67 years. Though technology is a good thing, spending too much time can cause various health problems such as stress, depression, back pain, etc. we cannot go back to the time when everything was manual and the human machine was more active and healthier because of more physical moments rather than just sitting at the same place for hours so to avoid these tensions and improve your health it is very important to practice some physical exercises. You can practice yoga for the overall healing of your body. Yoga is one of the best ways for improving your health.
If you are among the millions of people who are glued to their desks, then you need to practice yoga. There are various poses to correct your posture and reduce stiffness and back pain. One such posture is Dhanurasan.
Dhanurasan is a stretching bow pose. It is the 12^th hatha yoga pose. The word Dhanurasan is a Sanskrit term. The word Dhanur means bow, Asana means pose.
Hence, danurasan is called a bow pose. The name was given because of the posture it makes by lying on the belly. This pose stretches our belly and opens up the chest and at the same time contracts your back, spine, and hips. Just as a well-strung bow is an asset to a warrior, a well-stretched body helps keep you flexible with a good posture.
This pose can be practiced only by professionals or by someone who is practicing yoga for 1 year. Hence, it is very important to take proper precautions if you have just started practicing yoga to ensure lesser injuries.
Dhanurasan is a backbend that finally opens the chest and the front of the body. It gives a good stretch to your body and helps an individual to practice the pose better. It helps to improve your posture by stretching your shoulders.
Benefits:
Most Backbends work on the abdomen and back directly but also give benefit to the whole body. In Dhanurasan too the entire body is raised from the floor thus bringing benefit not only to the back but also the entire body. Performing dhanurasan on regular basis leads to various health benefits. Dhanurasan is not only beneficial in mental health but also improves physical health. it is very beneficial in improving the overall health of an individual.

• Stretch: The pose provides a good stretch to your internal organ and improves the overall health of your abdominal and reproductive organs.
• Strength: Practicing this pose will strengthen the ankles, thighs, groins, chest, shoulders, neck, backbone, and abdominal muscles and makes them flexible.
• Burn fat: Practicing this pose will burn fat, especially in the belly and thighs. It also helps in toning the body and arms.
• Reducing lethargy and fatigue: It is extremely helpful for reducing fatigue and lethargy. This asana stimulates the nerves in the navel region, which offers better efficiency and improves the kidney and liver functions, digestive system, and reproductive system
• Blood circulation: This pose enhances the oxygen-carrying blood in your body and improves the overall health of an individual.
• Menstrual cycle: Practicing this pose will help you to regulate your menstrual cycle. This pose is also beneficial in menopause.
• Diabetes: Regular practice of this pose is beneficial in improving the health of the pancreas thus resulting in curing diabetes.
• Posture: Practicing this pose will improve posture by strengthening and lengthening your spine. The stretch in your spine will improve your posture.
• Digestion: Practicing this pose will massage your digestive organs. the massage increases the blood flow and also provides warmth to your digestive organs and improves the health of the organs.
• Expands chest: Practicing this pose will expand your chest by providing a good stretch to it. It relaxes our mind and body instantly.
• Alleviate hunchback: Practicing this pose will alleviate the hunchback. Hunchback is an abnormality of the spine causing excessive curvature of the upper back and causing pain and stiffness in the upper back.
• Increases the appetite: Practicing this pose will improve your appetite. It massages your digestive organs and enhances overall health thus resulting in improving the appetite.
• Helpful in Gastric: Practicing this pose will squeeze your abdomen and release it. The process of squeezing and releasing helps in removing bloating and gas from your belly.
• Relieves back pain: Practice of this posture helps in relieving the back pain. It stretches the back and provides stretch to the spine. The stretch to the spine relieves the back pain.

Technique:
Step 1: lie on your belly with your hands beside your hips. Keep your body relax and stretched.
Step 2: Fold your knees in the upward direction while lying on your belly. Do not force yourself in the process. Practice this pose smoothly.
Step 3: Grab the outer edge of your ankles with your hands and flex your feet strongly.
Step 4: lift your rib cage and shoulders towards your ear. Lift your head and chest. Gaze in the forward direction.
Step 5: Hold on to the pose for at least 10 seconds to the maximum you can.
Step 6: Breath naturally. Do not force your breathing.
Step 7: Do not force yourself during the process as this may cause severe injury. Relax and get back to the initial position.
Precautions:
While practicing any of the yoga poses, it is essential to learn about the correct technique and precautions. Practicing the pose with wrong techniques and without precautions might cause a severe injury and can injure you for a lifetime. So it is very important to read all the precautions before practicing yoga poses. The following precautions should be taken before practicing dhanurasan.

• Do not practice this pose if you are suffering from a hernia. Practicing this pose might worsen your condition.
•  Avoid practicing this pose if you are suffering from an abdomen infection. It is necessary to consult your yoga instructor in this situation.
• Do not practice this pose during the initial days of your menstrual cycle.
• Practicing this pose is strictly prohibited during pregnancy. This pose can result in abortion.
• Do not practice this pose if you are suffering from high or low blood pressure. The practice of this pose enhances blood circulation.
• Do not practice this pose if you are suffering from spondylitis.
• Consult your doctor before practicing this pose if you are suffering from neck, back, or hip injury.
• Do not practice this pose if you are suffering from a hernia.
• Avoid practicing this pose if you are suffering from vertigo. Practicing this pose can enhance the spinning experience and worsen your situation.
• This pose pressurize your abdomen. thus people suffering from ulcers must not practice this pose.
• Do not practice this pose if you are suffering from a severe headache or migraine.
• Do not practice this pose if you have recently recovered from surgery.

Props and modification:
The practice of yoga depends from person to person. Every individual has their unique body type, strength, and flexibility. So it is very important to add some props and a modified version of the pose to avoid any kind of injury and for the smooth practice of it.  

• If you can’t grab your feet you can use yoga bands to help yourself.
• Use a pillow under pelvic tilt to avoid injury.
• Use yoga bricks under your chest and thighs to give them support.
• Do not practice this pose if you are suffering from insomnia.