Wheel Pose

Wheel Pose, or Urdhva Dhanurasana in Sanskrit (literally "upward-facing bow"), is one of yoga's most expansive postures. Often called the "queen of asanas," it lifts the entire front body into a deep backbend that strengthens the arms, legs, and back while opening the chest, shoulders, and hip flexors. As the days grow longer and the world bursts into bloom, Wheel Pose invites you to do the same.

How to Perform

1. Lie on Your Back: Begin lying on your mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Walk your heels in close enough that your fingertips can just touch them.
2. Position Your Hands: Bend your elbows and place your palms flat on the mat beside your ears, fingers pointing toward your shoulders. Your elbows should point straight up toward the ceiling.
3. Press Up to the Crown of Your Head: On an inhale, press into your hands and feet to lift your hips. Pause with the crown of your head lightly resting on the mat. Check your alignment: elbows shoulder-width, knees hip-width.
4. Lift Fully: On your next exhale, press firmly through your hands and feet to straighten your arms and lift your head off the mat. Let your head hang gently between your arms.
5. Find Length: Press your chest toward the wall behind you and roll your inner thighs down. Lift your hips toward the ceiling. Spread the weight evenly between your hands and feet.
6. Breathe Deeply: Take slow, even breaths into your belly and chest. Stay for 3-5 breaths to start, gradually building up to 10 breaths as your back and shoulders open.
7. Release with Care: Tuck your chin to your chest first, then slowly bend your elbows and lower the back of your head, then your shoulders, and finally your hips back to the mat — one vertebra at a time.
8. Counterpose: Hug your knees into your chest and gently rock side to side. Take a few breaths in a supine twist or Reclined Bound Angle before sitting up.

Benefits

• Strengthens the arms, wrists, legs, glutes, abdomen, and spine
• Deeply opens the chest, shoulders, and hip flexors
• Stimulates the thyroid and pituitary glands
• Increases energy and counteracts the slump of long hours at a desk
• Builds confidence and a sense of fearlessness
• Improves flexibility throughout the entire spine

Modifications & Tips

• Warm up first: Wheel is a peak pose. Prepare with Bridge Pose, Cobra, Upward-Facing Dog, and Camel before attempting.
• Try Bridge Pose instead: If full Wheel feels inaccessible, Bridge Pose offers many of the same benefits with much less intensity.
• Use blocks: Place blocks against a wall under your hands at an angle to make it easier to press up.
• Mind your wrists: Spread your fingers wide and press through the entire palm, especially the index-finger knuckle, to protect your wrists.
• Don't crunch the lower back: Engage your glutes and inner thighs, and lengthen your tailbone toward your knees as you lift.

Caution

Avoid Wheel Pose if you have wrist, shoulder, lower back, or neck injuries, high or low blood pressure, headache, or are in your second or third trimester of pregnancy. Always warm up thoroughly before attempting this pose.

Why Wheel for May

May is the month when everything opens — flowers, trees, possibilities. Wheel Pose mirrors that energy in the body. It asks us to lift our heart toward the sky, to trust the strength of our foundation, and to expand into the space we've been holding closed all winter. Even if you don't reach the full pose today, the willingness to try is the practice.

Namaste,
Andrea Borghi
Green Yoga Inc