Bow · Side Bow · Dhanurasana · Parsva Dhanurasana

Dhanurasana · Parsva Dhanurasana · 다누라사나 · 활 자세

Intermediate Series · Nadi Shodhana (Nerve Cleansing) — Backbend Sequence

Breath: 5×3 · Drishti (gaze): nose tip

Catch the ankles and let the shins kicking back draw chest and thighs off the floor into a bow. Allow the sway of the breath on the belly, then roll to each side for parsva dhanurasana, opening the bow once more on its side.

Alignment

Hands — gripping the ankles firmly from outside (the ankles, not the feet)
Feet — pointed and kicking back to draw the bow
Knees — no wider than the hips throughout
Gaze — the nose tip; in Parsva, the grip stays as you roll to the side

Entering the pose

Bend the knees, catch the ankles
Kick the shins back, chest lifts
Weight on the belly, allow the sway

Common mistakes

Knees splaying wider than the shoulders
Arm-only pulling that jams the shoulders

Modifications & props

Opening each side separately in half bow, then joining them, is the safe order of assembly.
When the ankles are out of reach, a strap looped around them lengthens the bowstring.
A blanket under the thighs removes the pinch at the front of the pelvis, freeing attention for the kick.

Benefits

Draws the whole front body open like a bow
Asks back strength and shoulder mobility together
The belly's pressure massages the organs

Role in the sequence

The culmination of the prone backbends. Holding the ankles, the shins kick back and that force hoists the chest — the pose that teaches how leg power creates a backbend — while the Parsva variation rolls the same bow onto each side in turn. Prone backbending ends here; from the next pose on, the bending happens kneeling upright, a different dimension.

Practice notes

Dhanu means bow. Catch the feet and the torso becomes the bow while the arms become the string — and the image is the technique. The string does not pull; it only holds, while the bow bends because the legs press. Straining to drag the feet closer with the hands is the most common misunderstanding of this pose.

When the chest is lifted by the legs pressing away against the hands, the shoulders open by themselves and the lower back is spared. Parsva Dhanurasana rolls that bow onto its side: five breaths to the right, five to the left, and five back at centre. The grip loosens easily as you roll, so tighten it once more before you go over.

Knees wider than the hips shorten the lower back. Some splaying is natural at first, and narrowing that gap over the following months is what progress looks like in this pose. If the ankles are out of reach, loop a strap around them and hold that instead.

Two checks: has the breath moved from the belly into the chest (which is normal in a prone backbend), and are the shoulders drawing back and down rather than climbing toward the ears? Rolled onto one side, the lower shoulder takes pressure, so keep checking what that arm is telling you.

A strap around the feet extends your reach.

Written by Choi Seongjin — 20 years of Ashtanga practice, currently teaching three classes a week. Last updated: 2026-09-05.

This guide is for general information and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant, injured, or have a medical condition, consult a qualified teacher or physician before practising. Disclaimer & Legal Notice

Other poses in this sequence

Ashtanga Shala — Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga guide · Blog