Yoga has always been one of the finest forms of exercises all over India. Its popularity dates back to the early ages of the monks and the rishis who used to perform these exercises to stay healthy, to embrace a calm and contented aura, and to heal the wounds of both the body and the soul.
Yoga is a form of exercise, which brings about a coordination between one’s physical, mental, and spiritual state. If one delves deep into the history, it will be revealed that even the great Gautama Buddha gained his enlightenment by sitting in the lotus position.
So, yes the utility of this form of exercise is basically to heal the body from within and make one’s aura more refined and pronounced. There are many forms of yoga postures which one do to bring about an overall coordination between the body and the mind.
One such easy yet crucial pose is the bow pose, the exercise known as the dhanurasana. The name suggests that the individual will attain a bow pose with neck and legs being lifted off from the ground and the hands and the feet will be joined.
PARTS OF THE BODY BEING AFFECTED
Any forms of yoga affect multiple areas of the body as some are compressed while being stretched. The bow pose isn’t any difference and it has too multiple effects on different body parts.
- First effect is on the alignment of the spinal cord. As you have to stretch your spine to avoid compression, the muscles around your spine and neck strengthen.
- You have to keep your shoulders tight and away from the neck. The chest should come out in a puffing position. This causes the muscles to stretch and hence they get stronger.
- The bow pose is known for giving flexibility to the spine by adding a curvature to it.
- In case of the legs, the pressure is built up in the hamstring muscle, calf muscle, and the feet. This makes your legs toned and muscular.
HEALTHY BENEFITS OF DHANURASANA
The bow pose has a lot of different health benefits that cannot be ignored. Those having a healthy body include this particular pose in their yoga schedule.
Let’s have a look at the health benefits of dhanurasana!
- In the bow pose, the first thing that you have to maintain is the proper movement while breathing in and out. The swinging motion massages the digestive system and helps to clear out the toxins and the undigested particles from the gut.
- The strong force on the back strengthens your spine and makes it more flexible. The muscles attached to the spine elongate and strengthen, thereby preventing any back injury.
- According to the yogic study, it is said that all the negative thoughts are stored in the hip. This is why in the bow pose the hip flexors are starched and forced to open up.
- Tight chest can be harmful to the health of the heart and the lungs. Also, some have stiff or sagging shoulders. This yoga strengthens the muscles of the chest and increases the thoracic volume.
- The yoga should be performed with a happy face and this calms down the mental distress to a great level.