Remember Dhanurasana, the Bow pose? It is one of the best known of yoga, very useful for the health of the spine but also for many other benefits. It also exists in a variant that is performed from the quadrupedal position: easier but just as profitable for those who perform it. The teacher Francesca Cassia underlines its detox action, which makes it ideal for women.
Get used to laying it every day, like a real re-oxygenating ritual, to exploit all its anti-ageing potential.
How it is done
From the quadrupedia, resting on outstretched arms and knees, lift one leg back and grab its ankle with the corresponding hand. Arch your back well back and open your chest and shoulders, holding the tights for 5-6 full breaths, then do the other way. Be careful to stabilize the body with the core muscles, so as not to lose balance. The asana can also be performed by grabbing the ankle with the opposite hand, but in this case the lumbars work more intensely and the less trained and flexible could feel some discomfort.
A deep purification
The estate, even if you don’t draw an accentuated arc, has a very deep purification effect for various reasons. The arching and return movements, similar to a sort of decompression and compression of the tissues, stimulate the entire lymphatic system, improving circulation and reducing stagnation of liquids and toxins. Furthermore, the opening of the chest makes breathing wider and deeper, with a marked improvement in gaseous exchanges in the pulmonary alveoli and, consequently, causes greater oxygenation of all body tissues. The cellular metabolism is stimulated and rebalanced, with a general anti-aging action which is also noticeable at first glance by the luminosity of the skin, and the imperfections linked to lymphatic stasis, such as cellulite and swelling, are counteracted.
Useful for improving concentration
From a psycho-emotional point of view, this stretching and arching of the body involves great concentration: master yogis interpret it as the moment in which one focuses on the target, as if to shoot an arrow. Metaphorically, the pose is therefore useful for recharging energy, to be released to face life’s challenges and commitments.