If you’re looking for a bold, beautiful way to energize your body, open your heart, and build inner strength, Wheel Pose Yoga might be your next favorite pose. Known for its powerful stretch and uplifting shape, Wheel Pose isn’t just about flexibility—it’s about courage, confidence, and showing up for yourself in a big way.
While it might look intimidating at first, the journey toward Wheel Pose can be one of the most empowering experiences in your yoga practice. Whether you’re new to beginner yoga, working through a consistent yoga flow, or returning to your mat after a break, this pose can meet you where you are—and show you where you’re capable of going.
As one yoga quote reminds us, “Your body can do anything. It’s your mind you have to convince.” Let’s dive into how Wheel Pose can help you strengthen both.
What Is Wheel Pose in Yoga?
Wheel Pose (called Urdhva Dhanurasana in Sanskrit) is a heart-opening backbend and full-body pose often used in dynamic yoga exercises and energizing sequences. In this pose, you lie on your back, press your hands and feet into the mat, and lift your body into an arched “wheel” shape.
It’s a pose that symbolizes openness, vitality, and growth. Physically, it stretches the chest, shoulders, spine, and hips, while strengthening the arms, legs, and back. Emotionally, it can make you feel expansive, uplifted, and even fearless.
Why Practice Wheel Pose?
You might be wondering—why add this deep backbend to your yoga routine, especially if you’re still exploring beginner yoga? Because Wheel Pose is more than just a shape. It offers a long list of benefits, inside and out:
1. Boosts Energy
Wheel Pose is often part of a powerful morning yoga routine because it increases circulation, stimulates the nervous system, and helps you shake off fatigue.
2. Opens the Heart and Chest
If you spend hours hunched over a desk or phone, this pose can help reverse poor posture, expand the lungs, and improve breathing.
3. Strengthens the Whole Body
This pose builds strength in your arms, legs, glutes, back, and core—all at once. It’s a dynamic challenge that rewards consistency.
4. Builds Confidence
Lifting into Wheel Pose feels like a personal victory. It requires trust in your body, your breath, and your practice. And when you get there? It’s empowering.
Is Wheel Pose Yoga Safe for Beginners?
If you’re new to yoga, you don’t need to dive headfirst into the full expression of Wheel Pose. Instead, think of it as a progression. There are plenty of preparatory yoga exercises that build the strength and mobility needed to practice Wheel Pose safely.
With patience, you can make it part of your yoga flow—even if you’re just getting started. Remember: yoga isn’t about forcing yourself into a pose. It’s about listening to your body and honoring where you are today.
How to Prepare for Wheel Pose: Foundational Poses
Before you attempt Wheel Pose, it’s important to warm up and open your spine, shoulders, and hips. Here are several yoga poses that support a safe and powerful backbend:
1. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)
Bridge Pose is the perfect prep for Wheel. It strengthens the back and legs while gently opening the chest.
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Press into your feet to lift your hips.
- Clasp your hands beneath your back or place your arms flat beside you.
2. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
This gentle backbend helps warm up your spine and improves posture.
- Lie on your stomach with hands under your shoulders.
- Press through your palms and lift your chest while keeping elbows slightly bent.
3. Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
Camel opens the chest and stretches the front body, prepping you for the openness of Wheel.
- Kneel with your knees hip-width apart.
- Place your hands on your lower back and gently arch backward, opening through the chest.
4. Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
Often part of a morning yoga vinyasa, this pose strengthens the arms and opens the heart.
- From a plank, lower halfway and roll over your toes.
- Lift your chest as you press into your hands and straighten your arms.
How to Do Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)
Once you’ve built some heat and mobility through the preparatory poses, you can begin to explore Wheel Pose itself. Here’s how to approach it step by step:
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart, heels close to your sitting bones.
- Place your hands beside your head, fingers pointing toward your shoulders, elbows bent.
- Press firmly into your hands and feet.
- On an inhale, lift your hips first. Then press into your hands to lift your chest, coming onto the crown of your head.
- Straighten your arms as much as you can without straining your neck. Push through the heels and spread your shoulder blades.
- Hold for a few breaths, then slowly lower down with control.
Tips for Success
- Warm up thoroughly before attempting Wheel Pose.
- Use props if needed—blocks under your hands can make the pose more accessible.
- Keep breathing—avoid holding your breath during the pose.
- Take your time—it’s perfectly fine to stay with Bridge Pose or Camel as you build confidence.
When to Include Wheel Pose in Your Practice
Wheel Pose works best when your body is already warmed up and open. It’s a great peak pose for a strong yoga flow or an energizing morning yoga sequence.
You can also use it to finish a workout, combining strength and flexibility for a final burst of energy. Just be sure to follow with gentle counterposes like Forward Fold or Supine Twist to release the spine.
Words to Keep You Going
Remember, it’s not about how far you bend—it’s about how present you are in the moment. Yoga isn’t a race. It’s a relationship with your body, built over time.
“Yoga is not about touching your toes, it’s about what you learn on the way down.”
Wheel Pose may take time, but every stretch, every breath, every attempt is part of your journey. Keep going—you’re stronger than you think.
Final Thoughts: Rising Into Your Power with Wheel Pose Yoga
Wheel Pose Yoga is more than just a physical challenge. It’s a celebration of strength, trust, and possibility. It teaches you to lift yourself up—literally and figuratively.
Whether you’re working your way up through beginner yoga poses or already flowing through more advanced sequences, Wheel Pose invites you to open your heart and embrace your own potential.
So next time you’re on your mat, take a breath. Roll your shoulders back. Lift your chest. And see how high you can rise.
