How to carry out Chakrasana, the wheel pose

HOW TO CARRY OUT CHAKRASANA, WHEEL POSE

Let’s start by understanding the meaning of this term: In Sanskrit chakra means “wheel”, therefore the word Chakrasana translates as the “position of the wheel”. In ancient times the yoginis performed this position by touching their feet with their hands, forming a shape of a complete  “wheel” with their body. The position that we describe here instead and which is commonly called chakrasana involves keeping the feet and hands resting on the ground distant from each other, so it reminds us above all of the shape of a half wheel or an arch. Another name used for this position, due to the similarity with an arch, is Urdhva Dhanurasana (always from the Sanskrit urdhva, “upward” and dhanura , “Arch”), in this case therefore the literal translation would be the “position of the upward bow (arch)”.

HOW TO CARRY OUT CHAKRASANA, THE WHEEL POSE

• Lie flat on your back and completely relax your muscles and joints. Bend your knees and place the soles of your feet on the ground. Bring your feet as close to your buttocks as possible and grab your ankles with your hands. The feet and knees are approximately 30 cm apart.
• Now try to bend your elbows and rest your palms on the floor beside your head with your forearms relatively perpendicular to the ground and your fingers pointing towards your shoulders. Pressing your feet to the ground, push your hips up and lift your buttocks off the ground. The feet and thighs must remain parallel. Making force on the support of the hands, bring the shoulder blades to the lower back, lift up supporting yourself with your arms and rest the top of your head on the ground between your hands, we are in the first phase.
• With an exhalation, lift your head off the ground and slowly raise your body by stretching your arms. Try to straighten and stretch your arms and legs as much as possible, without bending your elbows.
• Try to arch your back as high as possible and let your head hang in your outstretched arms, following the natural curvature of your back.
• You are in the final position. Breathe normally and hold the pose for as long as you can.
• From the position you exit very slowly, with awareness, first lowering the head until it touches the ground and then the rest of the body. Relax all the muscles.

WHO SHOULD NOT DO CHAKRASANA

• This position is contraindicated for people with carpal tunnel and wrist joint disorders, who suffer from abdominal or inguinal hernia and who have alterations in the spine, cervical or lumbar spine, slipped disc or badly positioned vertebrae and intervertebral discs. .
• Chakrasana is to be performed with caution during pregnancy, to avoid excessive stretching of the tissues and disorders of the spine.
• In any case it is useful to be cautious in the practice of Chakrasana if you have poor flexibility of the spine and not to perform a position that could cause excessive and unnecessary effort.

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