Bow Pose (Dhanurasana): Steps, Benefits & How To Do It

Dhanurasana, or Bow Pose, is a prone backbend where you lie on your belly, bend the knees and hold the ankles, then lift the chest and thighs together so the body curves like a drawn bow. It opens the chest and shoulders, stretches the hip flexors and abdomen, and works the back muscles. Practised mindfully here at Anand Yoga Centre, women-first, in Kolathur.

How to do it

How to do Bow Pose, step by step

1
Lie face down
Lie on your belly with the arms alongside the body and the forehead resting down.
↓ Exhale
2
Catch the ankles
Bend both knees and reach the hands back to hold the outsides of the ankles.
↑ Inhale
3
Lift into the bow
Inhale and lift the chest and thighs gently off the floor, drawing the feet back into your hands, gaze forward.
↑ Inhale
4
Hold and release
Breathe steadily in the gentle bow, then release the ankles and lower down to rest.
• Hold

The breath leads the movement: inhale as you open and lift, exhale as you fold and lower. One full round repeats the sequence leading with the other leg.

Benefits

What Bow Pose is good for

✓Opens the chest, shoulders and front of the body
✓Stretches the hip flexors, thighs and abdomen
✓Strengthens the back muscles and supports posture
✓Encourages deeper breathing by expanding the rib cage
✓Gives a gentle massage to the abdominal organs

What it works

Muscles and chakrasbody and energy

Muscles worked

Erector spinae
Rectus abdominis
Hip flexors (psoas, iliacus)
Quadriceps
Gluteus maximus
Rhomboids and trapezius
Pectoralis major

Brighter violet marks the muscles this pose works most.

Chakras activated

HeartAnahata
Solar PlexusManipura

These are traditional energetic associations, not medical claims.

Stay safe

Who should take care

Avoid in pregnancy and after recent abdominal or back surgery
Skip if you have a neck, lower-back or shoulder injury, or a hernia
Practise with caution if you have high or low blood pressure

This is general guidance, not medical advice. If in doubt, check with your doctor.

Keep going

Related poses

Cobra Camel Bridge

Learn this at Anand Yoga Centre

Practise it properly with Sailaja, who adjusts each person in a small women-only class in Kolathur.

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Reviewed by Sailaja Anand, yoga instructor at Anand Yoga Centre. Last updated 2026-06-14.

Questions

Bow Pose: common questions

Is Dhanurasana good for beginners?

Beginners can practise a gentle version by lifting only the chest first, or by using a strap to reach the ankles. The full pose is intermediate, so build up the back and shoulder opening slowly with guidance from an instructor.

What is the difference between Bow Pose and Cobra Pose?

In Cobra (Bhujangasana) the legs stay on the floor and the hands press down to lift the chest. In Bow Pose you hold the ankles and lift both the chest and thighs together, so it is a deeper, whole-body backbend.

How long should I hold Bow Pose?

A comfortable hold is about 15 to 30 seconds while breathing steadily. Release if the breath becomes strained, rest for a few breaths, and you may repeat the pose once or twice.

Can I do Bow Pose during pregnancy?

No. Bow Pose presses on the abdomen and is not suitable during pregnancy. Speak with your doctor and your instructor about gentle backbends that are safer for you at that stage.

Which muscles does Dhanurasana work?

It stretches the chest, abdomen, hip flexors and thighs while strengthening the back muscles, glutes and the muscles between the shoulder blades. The arms act like a bowstring connecting the upper and lower body.

Bow PoseDhanurasana