Ardha Chakrasana | Standing Backbend | Half Wheel Pose - Steps & 9 Benefits

Ardha Chakrasana

                Ardha Chakrasana is also known as "Half Wheel Pose". This is Standing and Balancing Yoga Pose. Ardha Chakrasana is the combination of 3 Sanskrit words, 'Ardha' + 'Chakra' + 'Asana'. Where, Ardha means 'Half', Chakra means 'Wheel', and Asana means 'Pose'. Ardha Chakrasana is good option for those who are unable to do Chakrasana or Full Wheel Pose. Ardha Chakrasana is also called as 'Standing BackBend'.

A yoga girl is doing Ardha Chakrasana | Half Wheel Pose or Standing Backbend
Ardha Chakrasana

                                                         Pronunciation - ardha-cha-kra-sa-na
                                                         Difficulty level - 5 out of 10.

This is balancing pose. Poor balance means restless mind or distracted attention.

How to do Half wheel Pose?

Yoga girl is doing Ardha Chakrasana Steps or Half wheel pose - Standing backbend
Ardha Chakrasana Steps

Ardha Chakrasana Steps -

  1. Stand in Tadasana, straight with legs together and hands straight down touch to the side of the thighs. Take couple of deep breath and calm your mind.
  2. While breath - in bring your hands straight over the head and touch the palms.
    You can interlock your fingers, if you want.
  3. While breath - out slowly start bending backward your upper body from waist, as shown in picture above.
  4. Stay in this pose or Hold this pose for few seconds. 10 seconds are enough for beginners.
    30 seconds to 1 minute are enough for everyone.
  5. To maintain the balance, focus on fixed point. Gently breathing also helps to maintain the balance.
    Your breathing must be gentle and at normal depth, while doing this Yoga pose.
  6. Then slowly come back to the original / starting position.
    Stand straight with legs together and hands straight down touch to the side of the thighs.
Note -

*Beginner Advice -

  • If you are beginner, you may feel heavy, fast or deep breathing at step no. 3, because of G force (Gravity). It’s normal thing, no need to worry, if you feel something like this.
  • Because of Gravity force and your lungs comes in upside-down position, then your body start feeling heavy.
  • If you are unable to balance this pose for 10 seconds, then place your feet at shoulder-width apart and then slowly start bending backward.
  • Focus on one fix point to maintain the balance.
  • Do not bend your knees.
  • Do not try to bend beyond your capacity.
  • For Yoga and Meditation wear something comfortable clothes. Too tight cloths will distract you.
  • Do not practice Yoga on hard surface, it will hurt your skeleton and internal organs too.
         So you must do Yoga on Yoga Mat. 


Ardha Chakrasana Benefits -

  1. Ardha Chakrasana strengthen respiratory, endocrine and cardio-vascular system.
  2. This Yoga pose stretches and strengthen muscles of lower back, chest and stomach etc.
  3. This Yoga pose makes your spine more flexible.
  4. This Yoga pose relieve the pain from neck, back, and shoulder.
  5. This Yoga pose improves lung capacity.
  6. This Yoga pose is effective to reduce the fat from stomach and thighs.
  7. Regular practice of this yoga pose improves balance and co-ordination of the body.
  8. This Yoga pose helps to remove fatigue and laziness.
  9. Ardha Chakrasana is effective to relieve menstrual disorder.

Precaution of Ardha Chakrasana -

  1. Those who have serious Spine or backbone or vertebra pain should avoid to do Ardha Chakrasana or Standing Forward Bend.
  2. Avoid this Yoga pose, if you are feeling like qualm or reel.
  3. If you have a Low or High Blood Pressure, Headache and Insomnia then avoid Ardha Chakrasana.

Ardha Chakrasana Variation -

         If you are beginner and unable to do this Yoga pose in extending hand then put your palms on pelvic girdle, just below the waist to support vertebra / spine and then slowly start bending backward as shown in image below -

Yoga girl is showing how to do variation of Ardha chakrasana
Ardha Chakrasana Variation


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