Five Steps to Practice Wheel Pose Before You Try It

Wheel Pose (or Urdva Dhanurasana ) is an invigorating yoga pose that takes a huge amount of stamina and determination. The pose demands maximum effort from the entire body and mind to push against gravity, forming the body into an arch.

The intermediate pose requires flexibility in the back, specifically the thoracic area of the spine.

Wheel pose, a back bending asana that involves turning your spine to the right or left, can help you reverse the negative effects of ” Tech Neck,” the posture caused by looking at a computer screen or cell phone.

Wheel Pose, which corrects the posture of the inward-hunching posture by opening up the shoulders and upper spine and strengthening and lengthening your neck, is the opposite.

Five Steps to Practice Wheel Pose Before You Try It

Wheel Pose is a powerful pose. It’s a pose that many of us approach with fear, even though we know it is important. But once we do it, we feel so relieved. You can build strength if you are new to yoga and haven’t tried a wheel before. Take part in the 30-Day Yoga Challenge. You’ll be able to do backbends in no time.

Try these steps before diving into Wheel to build a stable and secure backbend.

Upward Dog

Upward Dog Pose combines several of the ingredients required for Wheel Pose. It expands the chest and tones arm muscles. It also contributes to a gentle backbend.

How: From the stomach, with the legs extended, place the hands on either side of your chest. Bring your legs together, and then come up onto the tops or the feet. As the torso moves forward and upward (between the arms), press the floor with your arms. At the same time, press the tops of your feet into the ground.

Raising the tops of your legs off the mat. Shoulder blades and wrists must be aligned. Bend the elbows if you feel any compression in your lower back.

Bow

Bow Pose is Wheel’s sister. It will strengthen the legs, open the chest, and tone the core. Bow (also known as Upward Bow Pose) is similar to Wheel in both visual and mechanical terms.

How To: Lie down on your stomach with your legs stretched out, your arms by your side, and your fingers pointing to the feet. Start bending your knees with the heels closest to the body.

Then, reach your hands back and grab the outside of the ankles. After you’ve got a good grip, lift the chest and legs off the floor (it is helpful to press the hands into the feet and the feet into the hands). Finally, flex your feet and lift the soles towards the ceiling.

Note: If the pose causes you discomfort, do the pose only on one side by pulling one ankle in and grabbing with the same hand.

Locust

This pose is a great way to build strength in the back, glutes, and core. Locust will lengthen the erector spine muscles, which stabilize the spine.

How: In a prone pose, with the legs extended long, place the arms with palms facing up alongside the torso. The forehead is resting on the mat, and the legs are touching each other. As you inhale, begin to lift your arms, head, and torso off the ground. Continue to reach your arms back, and keep in mind the breath.

Camel

Tight hip flexors can slow down the development of wheel posing. Camel Pose is a back-bending position that helps stretch out the hip flexors and shoulders, as well as lengthen them.

How To: Get on your shins with your knees at hip-width and your torso straight. Place the palms of your hands (fingers up) around the sacrum and tuck your toes. Draw the elbows towards each other. This will open up the chest and shoulders and broaden the collarbones.

Press the hands in the back to guide the hips forward. While the hips are moving forward, contract the quadriceps and then send your torso in a backward direction to create an arch. Once you feel that you can’t bend or shift forward any further, release one hand and grab the inner ankle.

If you don’t feel any strain in your neck, tilt your chin upwards.

Bridge

Bridge Pose is a gentle backbend that stretches the spine. Don’t let its delicate nature fool you; Bridge Pose is a powerful leg-strengthening pose that will help you maintain Wheel Pose.

How: In a supine posture, bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet to the mat. The feet should be approximately hip-distance apart and about a couple of inches away from the glutes. The fingertip should barely touch the heels when you reach your arms to the feet.

Lift the hips towards the ceiling by pressing the palms of the feet and the heels firmly into the mat. The neck should remain neutral, and the gaze should be directed upward. Continue lifting your hips.

The Wheel is a great pose to try when you are confident and have opened up your body. B it’s a good idea to do a few rounds of Sun Salutations before moving on to more advanced poses.

The Wheel Pose

Begin by lying on your stomach and bending your knees. Bring the heels towards the hips until the fingertips barely touch the heels. The feet should be at the hip distance.

Place the palms on either side of your head, shoulder-width apart. The thumbs should be closest to your ears, and the fingers should point towards the shoulders. Start by lifting the hips, pressing firmly through both arms and legs.

Keep the ribs up and the hips extended in the arched position. Rotate the thighs towards the inside to prevent the knees from spreading and straining your lower back. Remember to breathe and hold the pose for as long as you can. Remember to tuck your chin in before you bend the elbows. Then, roll down the vertebrae one at a time.

Additional Tips

Back bending can cause pain or discomfort in the lower back (lumbar region). Try to bend more from your upper back and less from the lower back. This will protect the lumbar spinal column. Engage your abdominal muscles to relieve the weight on the lumbar muscle.

Everyone will experience the pose differently, so try a few different movements to find out what works for you. If the pose feels crunchy after tilting your pelvis backward, then relax the glutes. As always, respect your body’s needs and listen to them!