Upward-Facing Dog
Urdhva Mukha SvanasanaA straight-arm backbend with only the hands and feet on the mat. Works the spinal extensors and triceps while lengthening the hip flexors and front of the chest.
- 01Lie face down with the hands beside the lower ribs and the tops of the feet on the mat.
- 02Press the hands down and straighten the arms, lifting the chest and the thighs clear of the floor.
- 03Roll the shoulders back and down, drawing the shoulder blades toward each other.
- 04Firm the legs and press the tops of the feet down so the knees stay off the mat.
- 05Hold two to five breaths, then lower or press back into Downward-Facing Dog.
- 01Thighs off the floor — that is what separates this from Cobra.
- 02Shoulders stacked over the wrists, not in front of them.
- 03Press the feet down to lift the knees.
- 01Leaving the thighs resting on the mat, which collapses the pose into the lumbar spine.
- 02Letting the shoulders creep forward past the wrists, which loads the wrist joint and closes the chest.
- 03Hanging in the shoulders with a sagging chest, which shifts all the work onto passive structures.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.