How to Do Wheel Pose, Chakrasana

Marcocarvalho, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Chakrasana, Sanskrit for "Wheel Pose," is a profound back-bending asana that embodies strength, flexibility, and invigorating energy. Often referred to as Urdhva Dhanurasana or "Upward-Facing Bow Pose,". 

This posture transforms the body into a graceful arch, resembling a wheel, symbolizing the continuous flow of energy within. It's a full-body engagement, challenging and rewarding in equal measure, and a cornerstone for developing a supple spine.

To enter Chakrasana, begin by lying flat on your back, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor, drawn close to your buttocks with heels a comfortable distance apart. Your hands are then positioned beside your ears, palms down, fingers pointing towards your shoulders, and elbows pointing skyward. 

With a deep inhale, press firmly into your hands and feet, simultaneously lifting your hips, back, and head off the mat. As you rise, straighten your arms and legs as much as possible, aiming to create a smooth, expansive arch with your body. Your chest opens towards the ceiling, and your gaze can soften towards the floor beneath you.

Maintaining this dynamic posture requires significant engagement of the arms, shoulders, legs, and core muscles. The breath remains steady and even, supporting the full extension of the spine. To exit the pose, gently bend your elbows and knees, slowly lowering your body back to the mat, vertebra by vertebra, until you are once again lying flat.

Marcocarvalho, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The benefits of Chakrasana are vast. Physically, it profoundly stretches the entire front side of the body, including the chest, abdomen, and hip flexors, while simultaneously strengthening the arms, legs, and glutes. It's particularly renowned for increasing spinal flexibility and mobility, which can counteract the stiffness from prolonged sitting. Mentally, this invigorating inversion can boost energy levels, alleviate stress, and promote mental clarity by increasing blood flow to the brain. However, due to its intensity, it's crucial to approach Chakrasana with proper warm-up and, for beginners, under the guidance of an experienced yoga instructor, especially if there are any pre-existing back or shoulder conditions.

How to Do Wheel Pose, Chakrasana

• Arrange your yoga mat properly and lye on your back. Bend your knees in a manner that both the feel remains flat on the floor. The distance between two feet should be as wide as your hip.

• Press the feet firmly on the floor and inhale slowly. Then try to lift the hip portion upward. While doing so you would lift your thighs and buttocks on the upside direction.

• Now use the hands. Put the palms firmly on the floor keeping fingers facing your head. In order to lift your shoulder, just try to straighten your arms slowly but steadily. After the shoulders, your head also would be above the floor. When the legs and arms are fully stretched upward, the Wheel Pose is complete.

• Here you can hold yourself in Chakrasana until you feel pain. You can inhale and exhale, but try to keep breath inside for more time. It would give you the strength to hold the posture for long.

• While coming back from this posture, do it slowly. Get you head down by bending elbow and then let the shoulders touch the floor. Thereafter let the body rest in a flat position or in corpse pose. It would help in decreasing fatigue.
• 
  

Benefits of Doing Wheel Pose

The Chakrasana, the wheel pose is one of the poses defined in Hatha Yoga system. Due to its posturing of our body, we can name it as Beck-Bend Pose. It would help in making our breathing system balanced. If we breathe following the natural rhythm, we would achieve many benefits or we can avoid much physical illness. The physical side of the benefits of such backbend postures is multi-faced.

Those who are suffering from Sciatica Pain, they can arrive benefit by doing wheel pose. But care must be taken if more pain is felt; in this case, do this asana in the presence of a trained yoga instructor. A person feeling back pain would find it relieving a little bit. In the beginning, this posture should be done in the presence of a trained teacher. You can join a good yoga class where advanced yoga is practised and taught.

If this posture is done with wearing proper yoga outfit, it would make you feel more comfortable. A good yoga suit and a long yoga mat are advisable. While relaxing, you can use a soft yoga cushion. [First Image courtesy By Marcocarvalho