Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog)
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog) pose is a small backbend. In Sanskrit, The word Urdhva means Upward, Svana, means “Dog” as in “Adho Mukha Svanasana” (Downward-Facing Dog) and Mukha means Mouth hence Upward-Facing Dog. This Yoga pose is so called because the practitioner is supposed to bear resemblance to a dog stretching with its head facing upwards. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is also one of the positions in traditional Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation), but you can even practice it alone.
How to do The Upward Dog Yoga Pose
1. To start the pose prone on your mat, stretch your legs backward, with the tops of both feet pointing backwards. Now, fold your elbows and place your palms flat on the mat next to your waist in such a way that your forearms are more or less perpendicular to the mat.
2. With a deep inhalation, firmly press your palms into the mat and a little back, like you were trying to drag yourself forward along the mat. Now, with another inhalation, straighten your arms and, at the same time, raise your body and your legs a few inches up and off the mat. Keep your thighs firm and turned slightly inward, your arms firm and turned slightly out so that your elbows crease face forward.
3. Press your tailbone toward your pubis and raise your pubis toward your navel. Tighten your hip points, then firm but up your buttocks without hardening them.
4. Firm your shoulder blades against your back and push your ribs forward. Raise the top of your sternum without pushing your ribs forward, as this will only harden your lower back. Tip your head slightly back or look straight ahead. Take care, however, not to compress the back of your neck or constrict your throat.
5. Hold the pose for anywhere between 15 to 30 seconds, breathing normally. To exit the pose, drop your back, gently, onto the mat or, with an exhalation, go up into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog).
6. To increase the depth and strength of the pose, thrust from the backs of your knees along your calves all the way through your heels. The tops of both feet should also press more actively against the mat. As they do, raise the top of your sternum forward and up.
Benefits of Upward Facing Dog Pose
- Improves posture
- Stretches and strengthens the chest and lungs, shoulders, spine, arms, wrists and abdomen
- Firms up the buttocks
- Stimulates the abdominal organs and improves digestion
- Helps relieve fatigue, mild depression, and symptoms of sciatica
- Therapeutic for sinusitis and asthma
Upward Facing Dog Yoga Contraindications
- Pregnancy
- Headaches
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Neck and back injury
