ūrdhvadhanurāsana – ऊर्ध्वधनुरासन
This is the most important of the basic backbends. It’s a gateway to the advanced poses. Once you are comfortable in ustrasana you should consider adding this to your practice. Continue working on it until it becomes smooth and easy.
Use a chair at first. The hardest part of ūrdhvadhanurāsana is pushing up into it. If you are helped into it, it is easy to stay and work in the pose.
If you start over a chair, you’ll find it easy to lift off the chair into the pose (picture below). Take care not to knock the chair over, you want to come back down onto it. Practice this until the process is smooth and totally under control.
Then work on pushing up. I find the best way to start pushing up is to take bricks against the wall to lift your hands up the first few inches. The first few inches are the hardest lift.
The goal is to get your arms vertical.
Working in the pose
Once you get into the pose, work the legs strongly so you can move weight into the arms. The goal is to have the arms take the weight. Eventually, you can lift your feet and come to handstand.
Dropping back
Dropping back into the pose is a lot less effort than pushing up. Its a very invigorating way to practice the pose. I learned to drop back using a belt attached to the wall at waist height (picture below). With practice, it will become smooth and easy.
