- Category
- Backbends
- Level
- beginner
- Hold
- 1–3 breaths
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Inhale into the pose; keep the breath smooth if you hold it.
Upward-Facing Dog
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana — "upward-facing dog posture"
The flowing backbend of vinyasa practice: arms straight, chest open, thighs lifted off the mat. Stronger than Cobra, it asks the whole body to work, not just the spine.
Step by step
- 1Lie on your belly with your hands beside your lower ribs, elbows bent and hugging in.
- 2Press the tops of your feet firmly into the mat.
- 3On an inhale, straighten your arms and lift your chest, hips, and thighs off the floor.
- 4Only your palms and the tops of your feet stay on the mat.
- 5Roll your shoulders back and down, and reach your breastbone forward and up.
- 6Keep your legs active so the lower back stays supported.
- 7Exhale to lower down, or press back to Downward-Facing Dog.
Benefits
- ✓ Strengthens the arms, wrists, and back muscles
- ✓ Opens the chest and the front of the body
- ✓ Builds the strength and awareness used throughout sun salutations
- ✓ Improves shoulder and upper-back mobility
Make it yours
- · Place hands on blocks to give the chest more room to come through
- · Keep the thighs on the mat and practice Cobra while building strength
- · Slightly bend the elbows if the shoulders bunch up toward the ears
Take care
- Take care with wrist issues — the arms bear real weight here
- Approach cautiously with a recent back injury; Cobra is a gentler alternative
- Avoid prone backbends during pregnancy
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Practiced in
Props that help here
- Cork blocks (set of 2) — Bring the floor closer in lunges, folds, and triangle — and a block between the shoulder blades turns a backbend into something you can hold. find one
- Bolster — The single best restorative purchase. Under the knees, under the spine, or lengthwise under the back to open a gentle supported backbend. find one
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