Dhanurasana

Dhanurasana(Sanskrit:धनुरासन,romanized:Dhanurāsana,lit. 'Bow pose') is a back bendingasanainhatha yogaand modernyoga as exercise.

Etymology and origins

Half-toneengraving of Yogi Ghamande in Dhanurasana in hisYogasopana Purvacatuska,1905. The text below the image cites theGheranda Samhita,whose description of the pose is ambiguous.^[1]

The name comes from the Sanskrit words धनुर (dhanura) meaning "bow",^[2]^[3]and आसन (āsana) meaning "posture" or "seat".^[4]

A similar pose named Nyubjasana, "the face-down asana", is described and illustrated in the 19th centurySritattvanidhi.^[5]The pose is illustrated inhalf-tonein the 1905Yogasopana Purvacatuskaand named Dhanurāsana, quoting theGheranda Samhita's description.^[6]

It is unclear whether the asana is medieval, as although the name is used, the intended pose might be the sittingAkarna Dhanurasanarather than this backbend. The account of Dhanurasana in the 15th centuryHatha Yoga Pradipikais ambiguous about whether the pose is reclining or sitting, stating^[1]

Having held the big toes of both feet with both hands, one should pull [them] like a bow as far as the ears. This is called bow pose. (HYP 1.25)

The 17th centuryGheranda Samhitais similarly ambiguous, stating

Spreading the legs on the ground, straight like a stick, and catching hold of the feet with the hands, and making the body bent like a bow, is called by the Yogis the Dhanurasana or Bow-posture. (GhS 2.18)^[7]

Dhanurasana is used in the classical Indian dance formBharatanatyam.^[8]

Description

From a prone position, the feet are grasped to lift the legs and chest to form the shape of a bow with the body, with the arms representing thebowstring.^[9]^[10]^[11]Balasanacan be used as a counter pose.^[3]

Variations

Purna Dhanurasana, a more extreme variant of the pose with the legs brought to the head

Variations include:

Parsva Dhanurasana, the same pose with the body rolled onto one side.^[12]
Purna Dhanurasana, a more extremebackbendwith the legs brought to the head^[13]

Counter asanas areHalasanaandSarvangasana.^[14]

References

^^a ^bHargreaves, Jacqueline;Birch, Jason(20 November 2017)."DHANURĀSANA: Two Versions of Bow Pose".The Luminescent.
^"Dhanurasana - AshtangaYoga.info".Archived fromthe originalon 29 April 2011.Retrieved11 April2011.
^^a ^b"Bow Pose".Yoga Journal.Retrieved9 April2011.
^Sinha, S. C. (1 June 1996).Dictionary of Philosophy.Anmol Publications. p. 18.ISBN 978-81-7041-293-9.
^Sjoman 1999,pp. 84 and plate 19, pose 114.
^Ghamande, Yogi (1905).Yogasopana Purvacatuska.Bombay: Niranayasagar Press. p. 64, āsana 34.
^Vasu, Srisa Chandra(1979) [1914-1915].The Gheranda Samhita(PDF).Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications. p. 15. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2014-01-24.
^Bhavanani, Ananda Balayogi; Bhavanani, Devasena (2001)."Bharatanatyam and Yoga".Archivedfrom the original on 23 October 2006.He also points out that these [Bharatanatyam dance] stances are very similar to Yoga Asanas, and in the Gopuram walls at Chidambaram, at least twenty different classical Yoga Asanas are depicted by the dancers, including Dhanurasana, Chakrasana, Vrikshasana, Natarajasana, Trivikramasana, Ananda Tandavasana, Padmasana, Siddhasana, Kaka Asana, Vrishchikasana and others.
^Iyengar 1979,pp. 101–102.
^Mehta 1990,p. 94.
^"Bow Pose - Dhanurasana".Yoga Journal.28 August 2007.Retrieved23 February2019.
^Iyengar 1979,pp. 102–104.
^Vishnudevananda 1988,p. Plate 85.
^"Langkawi Yoga - Chakrasana (Wheel pose)".Retrieved25 June2011.Counter pose: Halasana or Sarvangasana

Sources

Iyengar, B. K. S.(1979) [1966].Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika.Thorsons.ISBN 978-1855381667.
Mehta, Silva; Mehta, Mira; Mehta, Shyam (1990).Yoga: The Iyengar Way.Dorling Kindersley.ISBN 978-0863184208.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Sjoman, Norman E.(1999) [1996].The Yoga Tradition of the Mysore Palace(2nd ed.). Abhinav Publications.ISBN 81-7017-389-2.
Vishnudevananda, Swami(1988) [1960].The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga.Three Rivers Press.ISBN 0-517-88431-3.

[Hargreaves_Birch_2017-1] Hargreaves, Jacqueline;Birch, Jason(20 November 2017)."DHANURĀSANA: Two Versions of Bow Pose".The Luminescent.

[2] "Dhanurasana - AshtangaYoga.info".Archived fromthe originalon 29 April 2011.Retrieved11 April2011.

[:0-3] "Bow Pose".Yoga Journal.Retrieved9 April2011.

[Sinha1996-4] Sinha, S. C. (1 June 1996).Dictionary of Philosophy.Anmol Publications. p. 18.ISBN 978-81-7041-293-9.

[FOOTNOTESjoman199984_and_plate_19,_pose_114-5] Sjoman 1999,pp. 84 and plate 19, pose 114.

[6] Ghamande, Yogi (1905).Yogasopana Purvacatuska.Bombay: Niranayasagar Press. p. 64, āsana 34.

[7] Vasu, Srisa Chandra(1979) [1914-1915].The Gheranda Samhita(PDF).Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications. p. 15. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2014-01-24.

[Bhavanani_2001-8] Bhavanani, Ananda Balayogi; Bhavanani, Devasena (2001)."Bharatanatyam and Yoga".Archivedfrom the original on 23 October 2006.He also points out that these [Bharatanatyam dance] stances are very similar to Yoga Asanas, and in the Gopuram walls at Chidambaram, at least twenty different classical Yoga Asanas are depicted by the dancers, including Dhanurasana, Chakrasana, Vrikshasana, Natarajasana, Trivikramasana, Ananda Tandavasana, Padmasana, Siddhasana, Kaka Asana, Vrishchikasana and others.

[FOOTNOTEIyengar1979101–102-9] Iyengar 1979,pp. 101–102.

[FOOTNOTEMehta199094-10] Mehta 1990,p. 94.

[YJ-11] "Bow Pose - Dhanurasana".Yoga Journal.28 August 2007.Retrieved23 February2019.

[FOOTNOTEIyengar1979102–104-12] Iyengar 1979,pp. 102–104.

[FOOTNOTEVishnudevananda1988Plate_85-13] Vishnudevananda 1988,p. Plate 85.

[14] "Langkawi Yoga - Chakrasana (Wheel pose)".Retrieved25 June2011.Counter pose: Halasana or Sarvangasana

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