Techniques

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Lie prone on the floor on you stomach, face down. Rest your arms along the body. Bend your legs at the knees. Raise you chest and fill your lungs with air. Straighten and stiffen your hands and legs. The body now assumes the posture of a convex arch. If you lift your legs, you can raise your chest. Attempt to keep your knees together.

Benefits

1. The two recta (straight) as well as the other muscles of the abdomen that flex the hip-joints are more fully stretched in this post. This is due to simultaneously raising backward both the trunk and the thighs.
2. The deep muscles at the back are exercised
3. It is very effective in ensuring that you are always alert and that your backbone is always upright. It is also good for the shoulders.
4. This asana is even more useful when you have to travel or work in uncomfortable sitting and standing positions for long hours.
5. This asana should be practiced for 30 seconds in the beginning and gradually the time can be extended up to 3 minutes. Holding the Asana for a longer period may strain your shoulder blades and muscles.
6. Apart from the benefits to the digestive, urinary and reproductive systems, this Asana strengthens the muscles around the abdominal sac which help to prevent maladies like hernia and a protruding stomach among nursing mothers.
7. Dhanurasana strengthens the back which helps in preventing spondylitis and such other ailments.
8. This Asana should not be practiced by those suffering from indigestion and those whose bowels are not clear.
9. Dhanurasana should be avoided by pregnant women and those suffering from hernia.
10. The exercise requires a rather brisk movement of the body. Hence care should be taken not to sprain any joint. During practice of this Asana the breath may be allowed to flow as usual may be controlled, if this could be done without any damage to the lungs. It is desirable for a novice to keep his knees apart as he would be able to secure a greater curve of his body during this exercise.
11. As the muscles become more and more elastic, the knees should be made drawn closer, till they are made to stand together, carrying the inter-abdominal pressure to the maximum limit.
    
    

Cautions

People suffering from constipation should avoid the Bow pose. The exercise requires rather brisk movement of the body. Therefore care should be taken not to sprain any joint. The asana may be maintained for about 5 seconds to begin with, later the period can be increased to 3 minutes or more, according to one’s capacity. During practice the breath may be allowed to flow as usual, or it may be controlled, if this could be done without any damage to the lungs.