1. Bend Like a Bow
Lie on the floor on your stomach with your arms and legs extended straight. Bend your knees to a 90 degree angle, and reach back with your hands to grab onto your ankles. Keep your knees hip width, and lift them from the floor along with your chest and shoulders. Lift your heels away from your butt and pull your head and torso from the floor as well. Keep breathing and hold the bow pose for a few breaths before releasing and repeating.
2. Flexibilty Just One of Many Benefits
The bow pose is one of the most popular intermediate-level poses because it has many benefits. It can relieve such ailments as constipation, respiratory problems, mild backache and menstrual discomfort. It also improves posture over time by strengthening the back muscles. The bow pose is good for flexibility because it stretches your ankles, thighs, groins, abs, chest and throat. This position stimulates your abdominal organs, improves blood circulation, moderates chronic fatigue and reduces stress, depression and anxiety over time.
3. Skip the Weight Bench
The Bow pose builds muscle all over the body. Strengthen the thighs, groin, belly, chest, spine, shoulders, arms and neck with regular practice of this pose. The strengthening quality of yoga comes from holding the positions for a length of time. Start by holding the pose for ten deep breaths at first, but then gradually increase the length of time as you perfect it. Release from the position and move into one that bends the back in the opposite direction such as the child's pose. Then move into the bow pose again.
4. Make the Position Easier With a Towel
Beginners may need a modified bow pose. Work up to the point of grabbing your ankles by making the pose easier at first. Wrap a towel around your ankles, and grab the towel ends instead of your ankles. Don't expect to lift your knees and chest completely off the ground at first. Simply tilt your head back.
5. Deepen the Pose
Challenge yourself after you have mastered the bow position. While in the pose, bring the arches of your feet together so they are touching to stretch your body even more. Once you can do that easily, bring together your calves as well, and finally to deepen the pose the most, bring the inner thighs together. Another way to deepen the pose is by grabbing the opposite ankle with your hands. Do not cross your ankles; cross your wrists. As the back stretches even further, make sure that you raise your arms and ankles higher over your head.
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