** Posture: Chakra-asana The Wheel Pose ** Translation: The Wheel Posture is derived from the word cak ("to motion"), which meaning wheel. The urdhva-dhanurasana is another name for the cakra-asana. Dhanur means bow and urdhva means high, elevated, or erect. The look of this asana can be described as "wheel stance" or "raised bow position." ** Pronunciation: chu-krah-sa-na ** Difficulty: (8) (full variation), (3) (bridge variation) ** Instructions: 1- In shava-asana, lie flat on your back (corpse pose). 2- Bend the knees and bring the feet as near to the buttocks as possible while inhaling, keeping the soles of the feet level on the floor. 3- Bend your arms at the elbows and lay the palms of your hands flat on the floor exactly beneath each shoulder, fingers pointing backwards. 4- Raise the head, back, and buttocks off the floor while arching the spine while gently breathing. Continue to press your hands and feet downward while rising your hips and stomach as high as you can. 5- Hold for the period of the inhaled breath that was held. When you can no longer hold your breath comfortably, carefully exhale and return to the floor, sliding your legs out straight to return to shava-asana. ** benefits The chakra-asana is more difficult than the majority of other yoga poses. Don't be discouraged if you can't get it done right immediately. Even if you don't succeed in completing this position, you'll gain a lot of benefits from it. The spine's strength and suppleness are restored first and foremost. It also boosts the cardiovascular system while strengthening the arms, shoulders, and upper back. The chakraasana provides a general tonic impact on the body. After a period of practice, the natural suppleness of the spine is restored, you can begin to perfect the form of this asana and reap greater benefits. To begin, make sure your arms are as straight as possible, with minimal to no bend in your elbows. Begin inhaling through your nostrils while maintaining the pose, and try to achieve a bigger arch in your spine by moving your hands closer to your feet and/or bringing your feet closer to your hands. Finally, you may make the chakra-asana last longer by executing numerous repetitions in a row without resting in between. Keep the hands behind the shoulders and the soles of the feet flat on the floor as you return from the position, and as soon as the back returns to the floor, instantly elevate it and return to the full posture. ** Duration/Repetitions: The chakra-asana is held for one to three minutes while inhaling softly through the nostrils or for the duration of the inhaled breath. Repeat the process two or three times more. ** The "Bridge" Variation: The "Bridge" Version: While this variation is considerably simpler to do than the full chakra-asana, it offers many of the same advantages. It will assist to extend the spine and release tension in the upper back and shoulders in particular. To get the most out of the bridge variant, make a consistent effort to raise your back and create the highest possible arch with your spine. Breathe softly through your nose while holding the bridge. If no discomfort in the spine or shoulders is noticed, go to the complete variant of the chakra-asana as indicated above. Both types strengthen the back and increase spine flexibility. Poor posture, stress, a sedentary lifestyle, and/or mental issues can contribute to back and spine tightness. After just a few repetitions, you should start to feel the tightness dissipate.