Tip of the Week: Straight Wrists in Bow Pose

Today's tip of the week comes from student Heather who asks, "Why do I have to keep my wrists straight in Bow Pose?"

 Our very own Bikram Yoga SLC instructor Jamie doing Bow Pose in Costa Rica.

If you are bending your wrists, it is a sure sign that you are using the strength of your arms instead of the strength of your legs. Bow Pose is all about the KICK. Instead of holding on to the feet, think of yourself as ‘hanging’ from your feet, using your fingers only. You kick your legs up and back behind you. This pulls on your arms. The arms have hold of the feet only through the grip of the hands (the only active part of your arms). The kick of the legs pulls the arms back allowing a surrender of the shoulders so that they get pulled behind you as well.