How to do Bow Pose

This is a HARD posture! Bow pose requires a TON of patience and the ability to stay and feel the pose shift and develop. Lay on your belly, bring your heels to your sits bones, and take hold of your ankles. Don't strangle or do weird things to your feet. 

The knees are not wider than the hips. Lift your heels away from the sits bones, simultaneously lifting the thighs and knees off of the floor. Try to feel your hamstrings isolate to release the frontal hip flexors. Feel the lower glute max engage and crease down toward the floor, rather than squeezing up around your tailbone. 

Lift your sternum forward and up, burrow your upper spine into the back between the shoulder blades. Mind that the ribs are wrapped in muscle and not poking out (ribs out, back shouts).

Breathe into the chest expansion. Think of the strength at either end of the bow and lengthen your thighs back and your sternum forward, creating a wide backbend rather than a crunch. The ankles and shoulders are moving apart. Imagine a person shooting an arrow from the center of your being. How strong do you need to be on either end to allow that arrow to fly straight?

Stay calm, work in this posture.