june pose of the month

Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose or Upward-Facing Bow Pose) can be considered the queen of backbends in yoga. It is an intense, energy-boosting pose that stretches your chest and lungs. It also strengthens your arms, wrists, legs, abdomen, and spine.

• Begin on your back with your knees bent and your feet planted hip-distance apart and parallel, directly under your knees.

• Place your hands alongside your ears with your palms down and your fingers pointing toward your shoulders.

• Without letting your feet or your knees splay apart, take an inhalation, then use an exhalation to lift yourself partway and place the crown of your head on the mat. Do not rest any of your weight on your head.

• Pin your elbows into your midline, draw your elbows toward one another, pull your upper arms into their sockets, and start to arch your middle and upper back.

• Maintaining all these actions, with the next inhalation, press down with your hands and feet, and lift into the pose.

• Straighten your arms as much as possible but keep at least a slight bend in your knees. Make sure your feet have not turned out, and root down with your big toe mounds.

• Hold for 5–10 breaths (walk your feet out if they had moved in), then lower directly to the floor (without stopping on the crown).

Modifications: Try the pose on the wall. Take two blocks and place them against the wall. Put each hand on a block and then push up as described above. If that's hard on your wrists, try leaning the blocks against the wall at 45-degree angles.