A decade ago I put my hands next to my ears. Then I lifted my body up. The weight shifted to the feet and then back to the hands. I pressed the feet against the floor to move the weight to the hands.
I learned a more sytematic approach. Often there are different ways to get into an asana. Re urdhva dhanurasana I work also on another vinyasa. I want to learn again to drop back from a standing position. Some people get from handstand into this pose.
When I went to the Sivananda yoga classes years ago we practiced first salamba sarvangasana. From there we lowered the feet to the floor. Then we pushed up into urdhva dhanursana, bow pose. This vinyasa allowed me to get rather deep into the pose.
Every vinyasa is different, feels different and has different challenges.
The pictures in the gallery show my countdown into the pose from lying on the floor:
I start from lying on my back und pull the feet to the body. Arms lie next to the body.
Then I lift up the hips. The arms can support this movement when pressing into the floor.
The next step is to pose the hands next to the ears. Important is to keep the elbows close to each other. Arms remain parallel.
Then the hands and arms press into the floor, the arms stretch slightly, and give room so that I can set the crown of my head on the floor. Sometimes I omit this step and I get at once into urdhva dhanurasana.
Last step is to lift up the body. This requires strength and the ability to stretch the arms. These days I take care not swing forward and backward. I want to lift up the body straight towards the ceiling. The weight is evenly on the feet and hands. It feels as if more weight is on the hands. The goal is to have en even bow. Feet and hands get closer and closer with time and patience.
A useful exercise:
In order to stretch the body and to get used to this asana I hold it for 1 minute every day. I use a timer. This little exercise shall make me stronger as well. 1 minute feels very long. I focus on the breath to distract myself from the discomfort. Today I realised already that it became easier to hold this pose. In the beginning I was not able to hold it 1 min. Progress came quickly.
Three possibilities to get into urdhva dhanursana (there are more):
from a lying position.
from a standing position.
from salamba sarvangasana.
Keep practicing.