Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana): Props, Ropes And Fear Of Dropping Back
Wheel pose: the short version
Before Chris Lalor used a rope, she tried to drop back from Mountain Pose onto a wall. It was hit and miss, and she never felt in control. Then a teacher showed her a rope tied round her sacrum (the flat bone at the base of the spine), and for the first time she felt secure. Wheel pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana, also called Upward Bow Pose) is an advanced backbend, and this note is about the pose, not the round yoga wheel prop. It starts with the version most people begin with: lying back over a chair. It then shows how blocks, a bolster and ropes help you towards the full pose. It sits in our poses and practice notes.
Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree.
Wheel pose in short form
- Advanced pose: a teacher introduces it after standing poses, forward bends, twists and gentler backbends.
- The beginner version: lie back over the seat of a chair, with your feet pressing a wall.
- Props: blocks under the hands, a bolster under the back and a belt above the elbows make lifting up possible.
- Dropping back: it is learned in stages, with a wall or ropes, and a teacher.
- Fear: it is the main obstacle for many people, more than stiffness.
- Next step: your first class is free if you’re new to Flametree.
Why is wheel pose so hard to start?
It asks for strength, openness and trust all at once. You carry weight through your arms and open the chest deeply. You also work with your back body, the part you can’t see and have to learn to feel. In daily life we hardly ever move the spine inwards, because we lean forward to pick things up.
So in Iyengar yoga your teacher first strengthens your back with standing poses, forward bends, seated poses, twists and inversions. Then you meet the gentler introductory backbends. Wheel comes after those, and it takes a person from an introductory backbend to a more advanced one.
For the wider picture of backbends, see our post on backbend yoga.
What is the beginner version of wheel pose?
Lie back over a chair. You lie backwards over the seat of a chair, with your feet stretched out and pressed against a wall. It is one of the early backbends you learn in non-beginner classes. Chris says you can get many of the backbend effects from this alone.
The chair lets you feel your back and work to your own limit. Go slowly, because it can feel strange or even scary the first few times. Ask your teacher to set the chair up for you.
Chris in a supported backbend over a chair, with a bolster, blocks and a belt, and the feet against the wall. This is the kind of version that comes before wheel.
How do props help you lift into wheel pose?
They bring the floor closer and make the lift smaller. If you think you aren’t strong enough to lift, props let you start. Here is one set-up Chris teaches. Do it with a teacher the first time.
- Put blocks on a slight slope at a wall, under your hands, a little wider than shoulder width.
- Lie back over a bolster. Put a belt above your elbows so the arms don’t splay.
- Set your feet hip width apart, lined up with the little toe and the outer heel.
- Press into your hands. Press the outer and inner edges of your feet evenly. Breathe out, lift your hips and chest, and begin to push up.
- Once you are lifted, begin to straighten the legs and then the arms, as far as is comfortable. Stay a few breaths, then breathe out to release.
With regular practice you remove one prop at a time: lower the blocks first, then take away the bolster. A folded mat or blocks under the hands also means your wrists don’t have to bend as far. Try small lifts at first, such as lifting your buttocks only.
Chris in Camel Pose (Ustrasana). Gentler backbends like this come before wheel and build what it needs.
How do you drop back into wheel pose safely?
In stages, at a wall or in ropes, with a teacher. Dropping back from standing is an advanced skill. Fear of falling, or of collapsing into the lower back, often holds people back more than stiffness does.
Chris teaches a wall version in four stages. Your teacher sets the distance from the wall.
- Stage 1: stand with your back to the wall, feet hip width apart. Ground your feet, lift your arms overhead and reach back to touch the wall.
- Stage 2: walk your hands down the wall, one at a time, arms straight, only as far as feels safe.
- Stage 3: when you can’t go further, bend your knees a little and arch back until your hands reach the floor.
- Stage 4: to come out, tuck your chin and press through your feet and hands. Walk your hands back up the wall or lower to the floor, and finish with a forward bend.
Ropes are another route. At the Woolner studio we have a wall of ropes, and Chris calls the rope drop back a game changer. The rope holds the pelvis, so she could lift her hips and lower abdomen and arch the spine before she dropped. Ropes give you time. In a free drop back gravity pulls you down fast. In ropes you can pause halfway, and feel the shoulder blades slide down and the ribs broaden. See our post on rope yoga.
Chris arching back with support at home, a rope above and a rail to lower her hands to. Support lets the spine arch slowly.
What does fear in a backbend teach you?
Fear of dropping back is usually habit, and habits can change. In yoga the habits that run on autopilot are called samskaras. Chris thinks working on a feared pose is a way to put a new memory in the body. Try again, be playful, and don’t stop at one attempt.
Props also help you be honest. Ask someone to take a photo of your wheel pose. Is the arch even, or is the chest pushed forward with the hips not lifted? Often a better attempt comes from using the prop your teacher suggests. Ego, in the yoga view, is one of the ways we misread ourselves, and a backbend is a good place to notice it.
Many students say a backbend lifts their energy and mood straight away. That is experience, not a cure for anything. If low mood is heavy for you, talk to your doctor too.
Learn wheel pose in Darwin or live online
Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga at Woolner in Darwin and LIVE online. Backbends are taught step by step with chairs, blocks, bolsters and ropes.
Practise this at Flametree
Your first class is free if you’re new to Flametree. New students, and anyone who has been away three months or more, can also get a half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, to use online, in the studio, or both. We teach in the studio at Woolner in Darwin and LIVE online. For the studio, just come along. For an online class, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
- Beginners: see the half price 10 class pass for new and lapsed students
- Not a beginner: see the half price 10 class pass for new and lapsed students
- The timetable, including online classes
Can’t make a class? Practise at home with our video courses.
Questions people ask
Is wheel pose a beginner pose?
No. Wheel pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana) is an advanced backbend. Beginners start with gentler backbends, such as lying back over a chair with the feet pressing a wall.
What can I do instead of wheel pose?
Lie backwards over the seat of a chair with your feet pressed against a wall. It is one of the first backbends in non-beginner classes. Your teacher can also show you other supported backbends.
How do I get my arms straight in wheel pose?
Props help. Blocks on a slope at a wall under your hands, a bolster under your back and a belt above your elbows make the lift smaller. Press into the hands and feet and lift a little at a time. Remove one prop at a time as you get stronger.
How do I drop back into wheel pose?
Learn it in stages with a teacher. One way is to stand with your back to a wall, reach back, walk your hands down the wall, and bend your knees until your hands reach the floor. Ropes give another route, because they hold the pelvis while you arch.
Why am I scared of backbends?
You can’t see your back, and in daily life we rarely bend backwards. Fear of falling or of collapsing into the lower back is common. Props such as ropes, a chair or a bolster make the movement slower, so you can feel it.
Is wheel pose the same as the yoga wheel?
No. Wheel pose is a backbend that you do on the floor with your hands and feet. The yoga wheel is a round prop. This note is about the pose.
Do I need strong wrists for wheel pose?
Your arms and shoulders need to be strong, and your wrists need to bend. Putting blocks or a folded mat under the hands lowers the angle the wrists have to bend. Tell your teacher if your wrists hurt.
Where can I learn wheel pose in Darwin?
Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga with props, including ropes at the Woolner studio, and LIVE online. If you’re new to Flametree, your first class is free. In the studio, just come along. For an online class, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin and live online. This note is general information, not medical advice. Wheel pose is an advanced backbend to learn with a teacher. If you have back, neck, shoulder or wrist problems, or a health condition, talk to your yoga teacher, your yoga therapist and your doctor if you wish.
Sources: Chris Lalor’s teaching on Urdhva Dhanurasana, backbends, ropes and fear, from Flametree’s Facebook posts (2019 to 2026). Background on Mr BKS Iyengar: Encyclopaedia Britannica.
