This pose is the bane of all tight-shouldered/tight-backed people. There are many of us out there! The idea is that there is equal weight in the hands and the feet and the arch is nice and even and broad. There are those whose shoulders are tight and this tends to push the stress into the lower back. The tight-back people get limited by the shoulders and wrists. The lumbar (lower) spine and neck are the only parts of the back that can extend, which is what a backbend is. The middle or thoracic spine has no ability to do this because it is attached to the ribcage and therefore can only twist. The wider the hands and feet get from each other, the less strain on the lower back and shoulders. This is sometimes doable if you have your hands or feet stabilized by the wall. Ironically, the farther the hands get from the feet, the more strain goes into the wrists, so you need to compromise one for another. In contrast, the closer they get together, the more flexibility is required, but the wrists have less stress.
This posture takes patience and persistence. It is also one of those postures that can change from day to day depending on what you have been doing with your body, e.g., sitting or driving or just plain old slouching. These activities are the complete opposite of a backbend. Remember, the spine is designed to do backbending, but it does not get the opportunity often. You need to take your time, get really warm, and know when to say “maybe I’ll just do a bridge today.” Unfortunately, though, bridge is really not a good substitute (or, more importantly, prep) for urdhva dhanurasana. To prep, work on lots of shoulder flexion and extension of the spine while stretching the hip flexors as part of the pose. Backbending is really therapeutic and also stimulating to the nervous system. It also takes focus and concentration. Open up the front of the body and shine like the sun! We will need it heading into the long cold winter!
Peace,
Mimi
