Urdhva Dhanurasana Chakrasana

Different Names of Chakrasana:

·                     English Name: Wheel Pose

·                     Sanskrit Name: Chakrasana Or Urdhva Dhanurasana

·                     Another name: Urdva Dhanurasana ( Upward-Facing Bow Pose).

What is Chakrasana pose?

Chakrasana is a deep back-bending pose that is performed for spinal flexibility. The word Chakrasana comes from the words ‘chakra’ meaning wheel and ‘asana’ meaning posture. It is also known as Urdhva Dhanurasana, Bridge Pose, or the Full Wheel Pose, and is an advanced level pose. Chakrasana pose gets its name from the semi-circular position that your body assumes while performing this asana- that of a wheel.The Chakrasana yoga pose stretches the muscles in your chest, shoulders, hamstrings, spinal extensors, and hip flexors. 

Who can do Chakrasana?

Chakrasana pose is a versatile pose that can be done by a variety of people. These include:

·                     Seniors.

·                     Children.

·                     Those who have undergone surgery recently and have healed. 

·                      People who have recovered from injuries.

‍Who should avoid Chakrasana?

Since it is an advanced pose, Chakrasana yoga asana must be avoided by certain categories of people. These include:

• Pregnant women should avoid Chakrasana yoga pose.
• People who have recently suffered a back injury.
• Those who have cardiovascular problems.
• People who have high or low blood pressure.
• Those who suffer from migraine.
• People who have gastrointestinal issues at the moment.
• Those who have spinal problems.
• Those who have a hernia.
• People who have carpal tunnel syndrome.

How to do chakrasana step by step?

Now that you know what Chakrasana is, it is time to master this pose. Below are the mentioned steps to practice chakrasana (Wheel Pose):

1.                 To begin the Chakrasana yoga pose, lie comfortably on your back.

2.                 Slowly bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. 

3.                 Your feet should be around a foot away from your hips.

4.                 Position your hands on the floor above your shoulders. Your fingers must face your shoulders.

5.                 Now press on to your hands and lift the upper part of your body over the mat. 

6.                 Rest the crown of your head lightly on the ground.

7.                 Press into your feet and lift your legs, pelvis, and abdomen off the mat. Do this while activating your inner thigh muscles.

8.                 Make sure you bring more weight to your palms. This helps protect your lower back from strain.

9.                 Let your head hang in a stable and neutral position. Don’t let your neck strain. 

10.            Hold the pose for 5-10 seconds. 

11.            To return to the starting position, lower your arms and legs gently and place your back on the mat.

How can you modify Chakrasana?

This asana can be easily modified to make it easier or more challenging. For making this asana easier, you can use props such as yoga blocks. This makes doing Chakrasana for beginners easy. These modified Chakrasana yoga poses make it easy for you to stretch and hold the pose. The benefits of doing Chakrasana with a modification help enhance your body’s alignment and precision. 

Here are some modifications of Chakrasana for beginners

For doing the modified yoga asana Chakrasana, support your feet or hands on a couple of yoga blocks. Make sure that the blocks are braced against the wall.

If you want to make your Chakrasana practice harder, the following asanas make for its natural progression:

 

1.     Eka Pada Chakrasana: Also known as one-legged wheel pose, this is done by lifting one leg off the floor. The importance of Chakrasana using a single leg is in improving your balance and strength.

 

2.     Eka Hasta Chakrasana: Also known as one-armed wheel pose or one hand wheel pose, in this variation of yoga asana Chakrasana, you need to lift off one hand and place it either on your chest or the opposite shoulder. This variation is only for people who have advanced levels of flexibility.

What are the benefits of Chakrasana?

There are some amazing uses of Chakrasana for enhancing your mental and physical health. 

 

1.     One of the most important benefits of Chakrasana yoga is that it is one of the best spinal extension poses. The spinal back bending position improves your spinal flexibility and prevents postural problems such as lower back stiffness, pain, and tension.

2.     One of the best Chakrasana benefits is for people who are suffering from diabetes. Backbends are said to reduce HbA1C levels in people. This also prevents diabetes from progressing. 

3.     This is one of the best poses of yoga for tight neck and shoulders. By activating and stretching these muscles Chakrasana strengthens them and prevents injuries and sprains. 

4.     Amongst the most important uses of Chakrasana is that it helps tone your abdomen and reduces fat. This not just gives you a toned appearance but also saves you from the risk of chronic obesity-related disorders such as heart diseases, diabetes, and kidney problems.

5.     One of the most effective Chakrasana benefits is that it opens up your chest muscles and improves circulation. This prevents the risk of heart problems.

6.     People who have respiratory disorders find the importance of Chakrasana in opening up their lungs. This helps in conditions such as asthma and COPD.

7.     Cakrasana and its benefits help in reducing stress and anxiety and lending a positive and happy mindset.

8.     One of the most important Chakrasana benefits is that it stimulates your endocrine system, which is beneficial for people who have thyroid disorders. 

9.     One of the most effective benefits of Chakrasana yoga is that it improves your circulation. This betters your immunity and keeps your body healthy.

What are some tips to do Chakrasana safely?

Merely knowing how to do yoga asanas Chakrasana is not enough. To gain the benefits of doing Chakrasana, you need to keep these things in mind. 

 

1.                 Chakrasana for beginners must be done under the supervision of an experienced yoga trainer. You can join online yoga classes for this. This prevents injuries. 

2.                 Never overstretch yourself. 

3.                 In case you have specific medical conditions, never start doing Chakrasana without talking to your doctor.        

Takeaway

Chakrasana and its benefits will be only gained if you are consistent with your practice. Keep yourself engaged by doing its variations and challenging asanas such as Ardha Chandrasana.