Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Upward Facing Dog is one of the most widely known and recognized yoga poses due to its
numerous benefits and therapeutic applications. It is also considered one of the easiest of the backward bending poses.
Consistent and determined practice of upward facing dog can:
- Strengthen the spine, arms, wrists
- Stretch the chest, shoulders, and abdomen
- Firm the buttocks
- Stimulate the abdominal organs
- Help relieve mild depression, fatigue, and sciatica
Instructions:
Upward Facing Dog is included in our Sun Salutation and Vinyasa Flow series. We move into Upward Facing Dog from the bottom of the Chaturanga push-up.
- On an inhale breath, slide your torso forward and begin to straighten your arms; simultaneously lift your torso up and your legs and hips a few inches off the floor. Stretch your legs back, with the tops of your feet on the floor, feet hip distance apart.
Beginner’s Tip: Lower the hips and legs all the way to the floor.
Modification: Depending on the state of your lower back, you may choose to do the traditional Cobra pose,
which is less intense on the lower back but more work for the chest.
- Slightly bend your elbows keeping them in close to the body and spread your palms on the floor beside your waist. Keep the arms firm and turned out so the elbow creases face forward.
Note: The only parts of your body touching the floor should be the tops of the feet and the whole hand.
- Keep the buttocks and thighs firm and lifting in and up to the ceiling.
- Keep the shoulder blades down and back and lift through the top of the sternum.
Tip: There’s a tendency in this pose to lift the shoulders up toward your ears. Actively draw the shoulders away from the ears by lengthening the shoulder blades back and down toward the tailbone, and pulling the chest slightly forward.
Tip: Once your arms are fully extended, check to make sure your wrist joints are under your shoulders – aligning the wrists, elbows and shoulders together. The most common mistake in this pose is having your hands too far out in front of you, creating low back pressure.
- Look straight ahead or tip the chin slightly up, be careful not to compress the back of the neck. Imagine the crown of your head lifting straight up toward the ceiling.
Feel the heart opening and the back bending.
Advanced: To amplify your upper body and core strength, try moving from Upward Facing Dog back to Chaturanga and hover an inch over the floor before moving to the next posture in the Sun Salutation series, Downward Facing Dog.
Therapeutic Benefit: The opening of the chest and rib cage helps increase lung capacity making this pose therapeutic for asthma.
