Supported Urdhva Dhanurasana – Weekly Advanced Class 456

This class explores a progressive sequence of supported variations of Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose), with an emphasis on improving shoulder mobility, opening the upper back and refining alignment. Although Urdhva Dhanurasana is a demanding backbend that requires considerable strength and endurance, the use of a chair and wall allows you to explore its key actions with less physical effort. These supported variations can make the pose more accessible to a wider range of practitioners and provide an opportunity to sustain and better understand actions that can be difficult to isolate when practising the classical pose. The sequence begins with chair-supported variations of Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog Pose), focusing on creating space around the shoulders and upper chest while developing the actions needed to straighten the elbows. These techniques are then progressively incorporated into supported versions of Urdhva Dhanurasana. The introduction of a wall helps to deepen the opening of the chest and refine the alignment of the shoulder girdle, while the final variations emphasise straightening the arms and increasing the height of the backbend. By reducing the muscular effort needed to maintain the pose, this approach allows you to work more precisely on shoulder and upper back mobility, improve the distribution of the backbend through the spine and develop a more balanced and sustainable Urdhva Dhanurasana.