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Āñjaneyāsana, Crescent Moon Pose or Ashwa Sanchalanasana, Equestrian Pose is a lunging back bending asana in modern yoga as exercise.

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A backbend is a gymnastics, contortion, dance and ice skating move, where the spine is bent backwards, and catching oneself with the hands. Throughout the move, the abdominal muscles, obliques, and legs are used to steady the performer while curving backwards. Modern yoga includes some backbending asanas. Backbending can be acquired from intense training or genetics.

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Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose is a reclining back-bending asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise. It is commonly performed in a cycle of asanas in Surya Namaskar as an alternative to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana.

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Bidalasana or Marjariasana, both meaning Cat Pose in Sanskrit, is a kneeling asana in modern yoga as exercise. A variant with one leg held out is Vyaghrasana, Tiger Pose. A variant with the back lowered is Bitilasana, Cow Pose; this is often used as the counter-posture, and a widely used exercise is to alternate between Cat and Cow Poses repeatedly.

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Chakrasana or Urdhva Dhanurasana is an asana in yoga as exercise. It is a backbend and is the first pose of the finishing sequence in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. It gives great flexibility to the spine. In acrobatics and gymnastics this body position is called a bridge.

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Eka Pada Rajakapotasana or [One-legged] King Pigeon Pose is a seated back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. The Yin Yoga form of the asana is named Swan Pose.

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Kapotasana or Pigeon Pose is a kneeling back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise.

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Matsyasana or Fish pose is a reclining back-bending asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise.

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Salabhasana, Shalabhasana, Locust pose, or Grasshopper pose is a prone back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise.

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Setu Bandha Sarvāṅgāsana, Shoulder supported bridge or simply Bridge, also called Setu Bandhāsana, is an inverted back-bending asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise.

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Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana or Upward Facing Dog Pose is a back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. It is commonly part of the widely-performed Surya Namaskar sequence, though the similar Bhujangasana may be used there instead.

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Ustrasana, Ushtrasana, or Camel Pose is a kneeling back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise.

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Viparita Dandasana or Inverted Staff Pose is an inverted back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. It may be performed with both feet on the ground, or with one leg raised straight up.