This is not your typical balancing pose in yoga. Here’s what you need to know.

Yoga magazines archives series is a curated collection of articles originally published in back issues dating back to 1975. This article first appeared in the May-June 1982 issue of Yoga diary.

Akarna Dhanurasana is a posture of focused attention. “Karna” means the ear and the prefix “a” means near or towards. Since ‘dhanu’ means bow, the image is an archer pulling back a bowstring. In addition to flexibility in the hip joints and spine, the posture requires good balance.

Beginner and intermediate students can both benefit from Akarna Dhanurasana. It can relieve back fatigue after vigorous asanas, stretch the hamstrings (rear thigh muscles) of the straight leg and open the hip joint of the bent leg.

What you need to know about this pose

Like any asana, it reflects the balance between opposing forces. The mind must be balanced between the forward reach of the front arm and the backward movement of the bent arm, pulling the leg up and back. Physically, the pose requires abdominal strength; mentally it requires one-pointed concentration (ekagrata)which is a crucial lesson of yoga.

According to The Yoga Sutras of PatanjaliTurning inward to explore the relationship between movement and stillness is asana, the concentrated examination of breathing pranayamawhile the detached inquiry into the effect of the senses on the mind is Pratyahara. These are part of Patanjali’s eight steps of yoga, and each step requires increasing discipline to observe and channel the energy. Gradually the energy of the mind (citta) is more clearly directed inward, bringing the innate fluctuations into harmony and ultimately silence.

When this philosophical background of yoga is understood, asana finds its natural place as a preparation for the other steps and as an expression of the psychophysical silence achieved. When you bring the body into a state of stillness, the mind can experience stillness. In the same way, if one concentrates the mind, the body will be still. This is what asana practice is all about. Of course, yoga has documented physiological benefits, but these are ultimately secondary to the calm, focused and intuitive state of mind created in asana and, through practice, maintained in everyday life.

How to practice Akarna Dhanurasana

Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Grasp the right big toe with the index and middle fingers of the right hand. Grasp the left big toe with the index and middle fingers of the left hand. As you exhale, pull the right knee back toward the chest (Figure 2). Keep the left leg extended and the left arm extended. Inhale.

While exhaling, pull the right foot towards the ear. Focus your attention on the other foot, just as you would when shooting an arrow. Take a few calm breaths. The extended leg should remain on the ground and the knee should not bend.

Inhale and exhale and vary the position by taking the leg straight up or to the side, as shown in Figure 3. Return the leg to the ground and repeat on the other side. If the hamstrings are tight, use a strap as shown in Figure 4. Practice the pose twice on each side to relieve back fatigue.