A 45-minute intermediate Iyengar Yoga practice designed to help you work progressively toward dropping back from Tadasana into Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose). Through a thoughtful sequence of backbends, inversions, and supported variations, you'll develop the mobility, strength, and confidence needed to approach this advanced transition with greater intelligence and less apprehension.

Using a yoga chair as a teaching tool, the practice demonstrates how props can make even challenging poses more accessible while encouraging a sense of lightness, curiosity, and play. Rather than forcing the outcome, the emphasis is on enjoying the process of exploration.

Continue your practice inside Po Online where we build on these foundations with structured classes, progressions, and deeper study.

About This Practice

Dropping back into Urdhva Dhanurasana is often viewed as an advanced milestone, but like all Iyengar Yoga practices, the journey is more important than the destination.

This sequence explores the building blocks that support a confident drop back. By combining intermediate backbends, inversions, and carefully chosen prop work, students gradually develop the physical understanding and mental confidence required for this demanding movement.

Equally important is the spirit in which the practice is approached. Backbends often ask us to move into unfamiliar territory, and this class encourages students to meet that challenge with curiosity, lightness, and a willingness to play rather than striving for perfection.

What You'll Practice

• Progressive work toward dropping back into Urdhva Dhanurasana

• Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose)

• Intermediate backbends

• Preparatory inversions

• Using a yoga chair for supported backbends

• Building confidence in advanced backbend transitions

• Developing spinal mobility and shoulder opening

• Cultivating lightness and ease in challenging poses

When to Use This Practice

• When working toward drop backs

• To deepen your backbend practice

• When refining Urdhva Dhanurasana

• To improve confidence in intermediate backbends

• As an intermediate-to-advanced backbend session

Who This Is For

• Intermediate and advanced Iyengar Yoga students

• Practitioners working toward drop backs

• Students refining Urdhva Dhanurasana

• Anyone exploring supported backbends with a chair

• Practitioners developing confidence in advanced transitions

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be able to do a drop back before taking this class?

No. The practice is designed to help students progressively develop the skills needed for drop backs through preparatory work and supported variations.

Why use a yoga chair for Wheel Pose?

The chair provides support and feedback that make challenging actions easier to understand. It allows students to build confidence while exploring the mechanics of the backbend safely.

Is this practice suitable for beginners?

No. This is an intermediate-level class intended for students who already have experience with backbends and are comfortable practicing Urdhva Dhanurasana and inversions.

Why combine inversions with backbends?

Inversions help develop strength, awareness, and confidence that support more advanced backbend work. Together, they create a balanced and integrated practice.

What is the goal of this practice?

The goal is not simply to achieve a drop back. It is to develop the understanding, confidence, and physical organization that make the movement feel lighter, safer, and more sustainable.

Why is playfulness emphasized in an advanced practice?

Approaching challenging poses with curiosity and a sense of play often reduces unnecessary tension and fear. This creates a more receptive environment for learning and allows progress to unfold more naturally.

Continue Your Practice

If you enjoyed this class, you can continue your practice across the Studio Po ecosystem:

• Practice in-person at Po Toronto

• Explore full-length classes inside Po Online

• Read reflections and insights on Stephanie’s Blog