Bow Yoga Pose

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Lie face down on a mat with your legs hip-width apart and arms resting at your sides.
2. Bend your knees, bringing your heels as close to your glutes as possible.
3. Reach back and firmly grasp your ankles with your hands, ensuring a secure grip.

How to do it

1. Inhale deeply and kick your heels away from your glutes and up toward the ceiling to lift your thighs and chest simultaneously off the floor.
2. Hold the peak position for 20-30 seconds, maintaining a steady, rhythmic breath through the nose.
3. Keep your gaze forward and your neck long, avoiding excessive shrugging toward the ears.
4. Exhale slowly as you controlledly lower your torso and legs back to the starting position.

Form checklist

• Keep knees hip-width apart; do not let them splay out to the sides.
• Flex your feet to engage the hamstrings and protect the knee joints.
• Draw your shoulder blades down and back to maximize chest expansion.
• Distribute the bend evenly through the entire spine rather than collapsing into the lower back.

Pro tips

• Focus on the 'kick' of the legs as the primary driver for the lift; the harder you kick back, the more your upper body will naturally rise.
• Engage your inner thighs to keep the legs parallel, which stabilizes the sacroiliac joint during the deep extension.

Make it harder

• Gently rock forward and backward on your abdomen, using your inhalations and exhalations to drive the movement.
• Bring your big toes together to touch while maintaining the lift to increase the intensity of the spinal extension.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the bow yoga pose work?

The bow yoga pose primarily targets the abs, hamstrings, and trapezius, and also works the erector spinae and obliques as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the bow yoga pose?

The bow yoga pose requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the bow yoga pose good for beginners?

The bow yoga pose is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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