Dandayamana-Dhanurasana: Standing Bow Pulling Pose

This one is a close-up up how I look while striking up one of the 26 Bikram yoga poses surprising most people with my abilities, despite my curves. I am wearing shorts and a sports bra in this one, something I wasn’t used to as an Indian woman who always dressed modestly. However, the day I shed my inhibitions, in favor of respecting the needs of my perspiring body, was the day I was able to go deeper into these poses, resulting in faster healing from the injuries from the 6 + hours of continuous running, my best time to finish my 26.2 miles.

This pose is one of my favorite as it challenges strength and balance of the standing leg while stretching the shoulders, back and legs on the other side. As one side of my body is being constricted, blood is being forced to the open side, increasing circulation to the heart and lungs, and stimulating the cardiovascular system. This is also a pose that I can do on a trail without having to have a yoga mat.

This pose is also known to ease frozen shoulder conditions, and opens the chest cavity which helps deepen breath, cleansing the lungs while strengthening the abdomen.