Danayamana Dhanurasana/ Standing bow pulling pose

Danayamana Dhanurasana is a complex, beautiful and challenging pose which I like so much . When you nail it, you just feel so great!
There are some tips for this pose .
#1 Set up is very important! As you set up, make sure your standing leg is firmly locked and that both knees are together. Try to squeeze the inner thighs together, pushing both hips a little forward. This way you will feel your center and get the balance easier. Then feel the energy shooting from the extended arm to the ceiling, lift your chest and keep your chin very close to the shoulder of the extending arm. It is helpful if your arm that is grabbing the ankle is not tensed up. Try to relax the shoulder back so that your shoulders are almost in one line before you even start kicking.
#2 Focus one spot in the mirror! Keep your focus there during the whole posture.
#3 When charging your body forward keep your whole torso and extended arm in one solid piece and try to keep your shoulder and chin together. Keep stretching your whole torso and extended arm and kicking the foot against your cupped hand as much as possible. Make sure you are breathing. When you inhale, try to lengthen the body and when you exhale try to go deeper into the posture. Remember, proper form is essential and depth is relative. Standing leg must remain absolutory locked and straight! Since this is the foundation of the pose, only go deeper if you can maintain your standing leg locked. Also, don’t let your kicking knee swing out to the side. The more you squeeze inner thighs together the more you can prevent this from happening! Don’t collapse with exhale and be sure that even with the exhale your stomach is held tight.
#4 From my experience, the more you bring body down, the more your weight sneaks back onto the heel. So really focus on keeping your weight forward on your standing foot. It is ok to fall forward. This will also protect your hamstring and back of the knee of standing leg.
#5 The action of kicking the leg and stretching the arm and torso needs to be equal and thus increased equally as you go deeper into the posture. These actions make the posture tauter and help with the balance.
#6 Ideally your stomach, abdomen and chest are parallel to the floor, with both shoulders in one line from the side and both legs in one line like standing split.
Benefits:
Standing Bow Pulling Pose develops balance, increases the size and elasticity of the rib cage, firms the abdominal wall and upper thighs, tightens upper arms, hips and buttocks and improves the flexibility and strength of the lower spine. Mentally, this posture builds concentration, determination and patience.
This is not easy to achieve, but be patient yourself and have fun! Wherever you are, as long as you do 100% right way, you get all the benefits. This is the only posture where we are moving all the blood from one side of the body to the other and then back again which systematically bring fresh blood and oxygen to all the organs and glands.
If your fall out of the posture , just set back up. No judgement , just keep trying, challenging yourself, you may find out how far you can go in the pose.And most of all, just enjoy it.
 
XX( 200HR HATHA/ASHTANGA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING JUL)