Bikram Posture - Standing Pulling Bow

The Standing Bow Posture, also called Dandayamana-Dhanurasana in Sanksrit, displays just how balanced, flexible, and poised the human body can be. Like many of the ‘one leg’ poses, this form often looks a lot more difficult than it is. Many students can work their way into the Standing Bow Pose in just a few Bikram sessions.

There are countless benefits that come along with this asana, but a few stand out as most important:

Since this pose, like many Bikram poses, is performed twice – once for each side of the body, something interesting happens with blood flow. With the first set, blood is moved into the side of the body most open during the form. When the other side of the body gets its turn on the second set, blood is then moved into the opposite side of the body. This means that after this pose has been done on both side of the body, fresh blood has been moved virtually everywhere.

Balance is key in the Standing Bow Posture, and it’s one of the best poses to help create a strong, stable, and grounded sense of balance. Since this pose takes place on one leg at a time, each side of the body is given a chance to strengthen and solidify on as needed.

When in this pose, the rib cage is fully expanded and a deep, expansive stretch goes from the spine to the sternum. This pose can help deepen breath, open up the chest cavity, invigorate and cleanse the lungs, and strengthen the abdominal muscles and core.

As you may have guessed if you’ve seen this pose before, the Standing Bow Pose does some amazing things for the spine. It creates deep flexibility and suppleness along the whole spinal column from bone to muscle, and it can help loosen nerves and relax cartilage as well.

While building patience, body awareness, and balance, the Standing Bow Pose offers a variety of amazing health benefits from head to toe. The next time your flow moves into this pose, think of all the good it’s doing for your body!