Strike a {Bow} Pose: Alignment Tips from Jeanne Heileman

“Bow Pose…it’s like many things: misunderstood.”

Bow pose is a prone (belly down) intermediate backbend that is often seen practiced in many styles of yoga.  This pose is more challenging than it may seem at first glance and isn’t always practiced correctly. When practiced incorrectly it can lead to discomfort in the knees and lower back. But this is only because, as Jeanne Heileman says, the pose is misunderstood. Once you get aligned, you’ll realize it isn’t so bad. In fact, it can feel super yummy. Plus, the pose comes with loads of benefits, such as:

• Stretches the entire front of the body, ankles, thighs and groins, abdomen and chest, and throat, and deep hip flexors (psoas)
• Strengthens the back muscles
• Improves posture
• Stimulates the organs of the abdomen and neck
• Relieves constipation, respiratory ailments, mild backache, fatigue, anxiety, menstrual discomfort

In our short five minute tutorial on Bow Pose Jeanne will take you through three different therapeutic alignment tips that will address the common problems associated with this misunderstood backbend:

We hope that these tips and tricks are useful for yoga practitioners and teachers alike! Let us know what you think in the comments below. Happy backbending, yogis ☺️.