Names
Chakrasana, Urdhva Chakrasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana, Wheel Pose
How to perform Chakrasana
Lie in the Supta Samastithi position, flat on the floor. Bend your knees and bring your feet close to your buttocks, placing their soles on the floor in a hip-wide distance of each other.
Lift your arms, bend your elbows and place your palms on the floor behind your head, your fingertips pointing towards your legs.
With inhalation you now lift first your buttocks with the strength of the legs and then your torso with the power of your arms and shoulders.
At this point you will feel the blood flowing fast to your head. Straighten your knees and elbows and bring your pelvic area as much towards your hands as you can with the strength or your legs.
Benefits of Chakrasana
This pose has many benefits for your body. One of them is obviously that you get more flexible through this unusual turn of your body.
It also stretches the whole body in a way that it is not stretched normally. This aides the digestive system and bowel movement.
Your back also benefits from the turn in the other direction and tension caused by making a hunchback or sitting in one position for a long time is reduced.
Energetically this pose stimulates the manipoor chakra, the solar plexus chakra on your navel. This is your action chakra, the one that distributes energy to your whole body. The energy of this chakra makes you feel active and alive!
Maybe this is why children just love this pose – seeing the world upside down is also always great!
And last but not least this pose also strengthens your arms as they need to hold your weight.
Focus Points
Focus on keeping a steady breathing rhythm. Lift your body up with inhalation and concentrate on actively using the power of your arms for lifting the weight of your body.
Tips and Help
It gets easier and easier the more often you practice the wheel. Just do it and enjoy the feeling of being upside down!