Chakrasana, also known as wheel pose or Uddhav Dhanurasana, is a yoga pose that is often recommended by yoga practitioners to people who have back problems. The person doing Chakrasana appears like an upward bow or half a wheel. It is one of the most fun yoga poses to practice, and it looks cool in pictures.
Although practising yoga has numerous benefits, here you can find some additional benefits of the Chakrasana or wheel pose specifically.
Chakrasana/wheel pose benefits
There are numerous backbends in a yoga practise that extend the spine, including Chakrasana. Listed below are some of the prominent Chakrasana benefits:
• Stretches the spine
One of the most prominent Chakrasana benefits is that it stretches and tones the spine by extending the spine. Practising Chakrasana improves the spine’s flexibility, prevents stiffness in the lower back, and has a soothing effect on the brain.
• Strengthens the back, arm, and leg
Chakrasana engages the muscles in your upper back, arms, and legs; while holding the wheel pose, you can feel the burn in these areas. The longer you hold the pose, the more intense the feeling gets. People often perform warmup before practising Chakrasana as this pose is at an intermediate difficulty level and requires some stretching and warming up beforehand to avoid injuries. Try increasing the length of your hold in this pose to get stronger.
• Stimulates the abdomen
Chakrasana stimulates the abdomen area, which can have positive effects on the digestive and reproductive health of the yoga practitioner. One can tone abdominal muscles and reduce fat by practising Chakrasana regularly.
• Opens up the chest and helps you breathe better
One of the most significant wheel pose benefits is that it opens up your chest and expands your lungs, enabling better breathing. People who have lung ailments may benefit from practising this pose.
• Enhances blood circulation and endurance
The wheel pose also improves blood circulation throughout the body. Additionally, it improves endurance as maintaining this pose for a longer duration is more difficult than it looks. However, with regular practice, one can see a definitive improvement in their overall stamina.
• Reduces stress
Although all yoga poses help in stress reduction, challenging ones such as the Chakrasana compel the person to focus on maintaining the current posture. This helps in building the skill of being in the present moment.
• Reduces fatigue
When performed in tandem with other yoga poses, Chakrasana can actually eliminate fatigue and restore the person’s sense of strength despite it being a challenging pose for many people.
Research suggests that Chakrasana may instantly enhance parasympathetic dominance in the nervous system, resulting in autonomic flexibility and a calm state of mind. The parasympathetic system is associated with ‘rest and digest’ functions in the body.
How to attain the Chakrasana pose
Chakrasana is somewhat challenging for a consistent yoga practitioner as well, and it can be difficult for them as well to do this yoga pose without any warmup. Hence, make sure you do not start doing Chakrasana at the beginning of your practice or you may injure yourself. After doing some warmup and stretching exercises, one can perform this pose with relative ease. Here is a step-by-step Chakrasana procedure:
- Start by laying on your back on the yoga mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Place your palms near your shoulder with fingers facing the body.
- Bring your knees a little closer to the hips and place them one feet-width away from the hips.
- Start to roll up, taking your pelvis high in the air, and push with your hands simultaneously.
- Straighten your arms and push your pelvis high toward the ceiling/sky.
- Hold this posture for as long as you can.
- Roll your chin towards the chest and bring your back on the mat head-first.
- Slowly rest your back on the yoga mat and return to the starting position.
If you feel uncomfortable after doing the wheel pose, open your legs and join your feet to come into a supine bound angle or Supta Baddha Konasana. This will help you relax and calm down quickly.
Additionally, one can perform different variations of the Chakrasana, such as the following:
Less intense version of Chakrasana:
- Using yoga bricks/blocks adjacent to a wall to support the hands while performing Chakrasana.
More intense versions of Chakrasana: - Ek Pada Chakrasana, in which you perform Chakrasana like normal, and after reaching the upward bow stage, lift one leg up and hold that position.
- Ek Hasta Chakrasana, in which you lift one arm up and hold that position after reaching the upward bow stage.
- Chakrasana walk, in which you walk back and forth on your hands and feet while maintaining the upward bow position.
Things to Remember While Practising Chakrasana
- Don’t overdo it; it is better to take the practice slow and build your strength over time. Taking it slow helps you stick to the practice longer than pushing yourself to the extreme.
- There is no compulsion to perform Chakrasana only in the morning before/around sunrise. You can include yoga practice in your schedule whenever you can make the time.
- Don’t do intense yoga poses, such as Chakrasana, after eating a meal. If you are eating a fruit or light snack, you can perform yoga after about 1 to 2 hours and not have any problems.
Note that some people may get nauseous if they do yoga after eating something. If this is the case with you, it is better to wait until after you have performed your yoga practice to eat a snack/meal.
- Many people find it difficult to straighten their arms completely or lift their bodies to make the picture-perfect upward bow, so don’t give up. With regular practice, you can easily perform this pose in 7 to 10 days.
- People, who have health problems related to the spine, heart, brain, and wrists, should consult with their doctor before starting a new yoga practice.
Takeaway
Now that you know the amazing Chakrasana benefits, make sure to include this power pose in your yoga practice or in your regular workouts. Doing Chakrasana regularly will help you maintain the flexibility of the back and strengthen your body simultaneously. People who go to the gym or sit/stand for long periods of time throughout the day will greatly appreciate this yoga pose once they start practising
