Meaning behind the attitude: Urdvha dhanurasana (also known as an upward arching)

social media is full of impressive yoga poses, which, to be honest, are often similar to the forms of pretzels. It is often difficult to imagine that your body could resemble one of these positions - or asanas - but with a lot of practice and patience you can achieve this flexibility and stretch you wish you at the same time. It is important that you do not put too much pressure on yourself to replicate The poses that we see on Instagram but to use the rejuvenating effects that these poses have on the body when they are carried out well over time. Sometimes this means to practice months, if not for years.

When it comes to aspirative yoga positions, urdvha dhanurasana or "upward arches", as it is translated, there is also known as the divisions up there, together with handbates and Hanumanasana. These attitudes are often the stars of the show that attract non-yogis to the mat and promise to be able to bend and balance in a completely new way, and encourage experienced yoga practitioners to maintain a practice that makes these asanas accessible. Urdvha Dhanurasna is part of the traditional Ashtanga Yoga primary sequence (in which the attitude is often referred to as "chakrasana", which literally means "bike posture"). It is a challenging attitude that requires both strength and flexibility patience and preparation also . A physical yoga practice offers us the opportunity to get to know our body in a different light and on a lower level. It offers us a feeling of inner and external strength and empowerment and it also offers us many lessons for life. If you have ever pushed yourself too much into an attitude or have tried a challenging attitude without preparing your body beforehand, you know that patience, humility, humility and non-binding to the result are just a few of the keys to be able to practice convenient and safe challenging yoga positions. Read on to get five tips for working towards Urdvha Dhanurasna:

just start

In order to be safe in a challenging backbend, we first have to feel comfortable in relatively accessible attitudes. Practice postures such as bridges, cobra, top -up dogs, virasana, deep failure steps and Ustrasana (camel posture) as well as a supported virasana. All of this will help get used to your body and mind in backbends and the challenge of opening tense hip flexor and chest muscles. Take these postures into your practice regularly and use props wherever you need it. The support of a block or upholstery under the back can work like magic to open the chest and heart space.

consistency is the key

A yoga practice once a week is a wonderful thing, but very often we notice the real advantages when we match meditation practice or physical sequence. It is not necessary to practice physical yoga positions every day (meditation and simple practice, to be present and peaceful in the world, are forms of yoga!), But if you can practice working on an asana, strive to three. Your body begins to adapt five times a week. As we spend most of our day, can also have an impact. If you want to work towards a back bend, make sure you keep your chest open all day and keep your spine up instead of bending over your laptop. If your hip flexors tend to tension, sit on the floor to work, use upholstery to support them, or take a coffee break instead of sat down for a long time.

do the preparatory work

Preparation is the key to every challenging attitude. Apart from the fact that we remain consistent, we can include some special features to open and prepare the body for Urdvha Dhanuarasna. If you want to prepare a sequence in order to approach such a "top position", consider which parts of the body extends or released and which need to be strengthened or stabilized. For this attitude, wrists, shoulders, chest, stomach, hip flexor and thighs have to be extended, while the spine has to be mobilized in order to create a uniform, spacious bow, and the legs, arms and spine muscles have to be extended. Make sure that you warm your wrists, practice with the help of props and think about the positions that you can take into account in your sequence if you work towards Urdvha Dhanuarasana (note: You were mentioned in tip 1!).

breath and be calm

Our breath always communicates with our nervous system. If we breathe briefly and flat, this signals the body and the brain that something is wrong, and we feel a stress reaction. When we are stressed, our muscles are more tense and every position in which we are in ourselves is considered insecure. However, if we can breathe in a calm, slow rhythm, it is as if you are saying our nervous system that everything is okay and the attitude in which we are in ourselves is a safe place. When practicing your backbends, make sure that you pay attention to your breathing, especially if you approach more demanding postures.

practice the non-improper

During the spiritual text of the Yoga Sutras , the functionality of the mind and the way to samadhi or 'bliss' is primarily concentrated, there are many verses that can provide information, as we practice physically. Verse 1.2 speaks of abhyasa and vairagya, a concept that teaches us to concentrate on the moment and not on what we could achieve from it. abhyasa refers to a consistent and careful practice, to which we also commit ourselves in difficult times. vairagya refers to "non-adherence" and can even be translated as "lack of absence", which means that it should not be our only concern whether our practice is fruitful or not. If we concentrate too much on the final goal, we miss the opportunity to be present on the trip and everything we learn on the go. Do not let yourself be captured by the end result, but enjoy your exercise and stay consistent.

Discover yoga basics to support your practice: Find the perfect yoga mat (link removed).