Upward Facing Dog Pose
Upward Facing Dog Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions
Upward-Facing Dog Pose is excellent for improving flexibility in your back as you learn to open up your chest. A staple of vinyasa and hatha yoga sequences, this backbend strengthens the spine, arms, and wrists while stretching the chest, lungs, shoulders, and abdomen.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit Name | Urdhva Mukha Svanasana |
| Pose Level | Level 1 (Beginner) |
| Primary Focus | Backbend, chest opener |
| Hold Duration | 30 seconds to 1 minute |
| Key Benefits | Posture correction, back strength, sciatica relief |
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
(Pronounced as "OORD-vah moo-kah SHVAHN-AHS-anna")
The Sanskrit phrase urdhva mukha means "facing upward," and svana means "dog."
How to do Upward-Facing Dog Pose
| Step | Action | Key Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lie face down, hands by waist | Feet one foot apart, fingers spread |
| 2 | Inhale and lift torso, straighten arms | Look up, expand chest, knees off floor |
| 3 | Engage thighs, tuck tailbone | Weight on hands and tops of feet only |
| 4 | Lengthen spine, push chest forward | Shoulder blades tucked into back |
| 5 | Hold 30 seconds to 1 minute | Breathe deeply, release slowly |
Step One
Lie face down on your yoga mat. Position your feet about one foot apart from each other. Let the tops of your feet maintain contact with the floor so that your toes point behind you. Place the palms of your hands on the mat by the sides of your waist with the fingertips pointing forward. Spread your fingers.
Step Two
Breathe in as you push your hands down onto the floor to lift your head and your torso up off the ground. Straighten your arms completely. Look up at the sky and expand your chest. Straighten your legs and keep your knees off of the floor.
Step Three
Keep your thighs engaged and tuck your tailbone deep into your pelvis as you arch your back. The entire weight of your body should rest on your hands and the tops of your feet only. Your arms should be perpendicular to the floor.
Step Four
Lengthen your spine fully all the way from your pelvis. Push the chest forward and tuck your shoulder blades deeply into your back to help maintain the lift of the chest. If you have chronic neck pain, look straight ahead rather than tilting your head back to look up.
Step Five
Hold this posture for about 30 seconds. As you gain more practice, you will be able to maintain the posture for up to a minute or so while breathing deeply.
To come out of the pose, bend your elbows and slowly release your torso back down to the floor. During the Sun Salutation sequence, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana comes immediately after Adho Mukha Svanasana, and you would follow it with Caturanga Dandasana.
Beginner's Tip:
Make sure you push the shoulders down so that they do not crunch up around your neck. If you focus on making your hands more active in pressing down into the floor, that will help you lift your chest enough to keep your shoulders down in the proper place. You can support each hand with a yoga block underneath if you need help getting your shoulders away from your neck in this posture.
Pose Information
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit Name | Urdhva Mukha Svanasana |
| Pose Level | Level 1 (Beginner) |
| Cautions | Back inflammation, wrist injury, menstruation, pregnancy |
| Props | Yoga blanket, yoga blocks |
| Preparatory Pose | Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog) |
Sanskrit Name:
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Pose Level:
Level 1
Contraindications and Cautions:
Inflammation in the back muscles, shoulders, wrists, or arms
Menstruation
For pregnancy: Generally, it is not advisable for pregnant women. Seek the direct guidance of an experienced yoga instructor.
Modifications and Props:
If it is too difficult for you to keep your legs up off of the floor in this posture, roll a yoga blanket and place it underneath the tops of your thighs.
When you come up into the posture, let your thighs rest on the yoga blanket and focus on pressing the tailbone toward the blanket support.
Deepen the Pose:
Practice coming into this pose from Adho Mukha Svanasana, or Downward Facing Dog Pose.
After you push your weight down and back through your heels in Adho Mukha Svanasana, shift your weight fully forward and pull your torso up as the pelvis descends.
In this movement, you will have the sensation of pulling your pelvis forward between your wrists, which gives you added momentum to lift and curl your back more.
Benefits
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Posture Correction | Counteracts slouching from prolonged sitting and screen use |
| Therapeutic Aid | Helpful for sciatica, slipped discs, and lumbago |
| Back Strength | Builds strength throughout the posterior chain |
| Pain Relief | Relieves backaches and upper body tension |
| Circulation | Boosts blood circulation to the reproductive organs |
| Arm Toning | Strengthens and tones the arms and wrists |
Corrects a slouching posture
Therapeutic aid for sciatica, slipped discs, and lumbago
Builds strength in the back
Relieves backaches
Boosts blood circulation to the reproductive organs
Tones the arms
Partnering
| Partner Role | Action |
|---|---|
| Position | Stand behind the practitioner |
| Hands | Grab shoulders from behind |
| Thumbs | Push shoulder blades inward |
| Fingers | Pull outer edges of shoulders back |
Ask a partner to help you achieve the extra opening of your shoulders that you need. They should stand behind you. When you come into the full pose, they should grab your shoulders from behind and push your shoulder blades in with their thumbs while pulling the outer edges of your shoulders back with the rest of their fingers.