Urdhva Mukha Svanasana / Upward- Facing Dog pose

Benefits:

• Opens the heart, chest and lungs.
• Stretches your upper back and the whole front of your body.
• Strengthens your wrists, arms, shoulders, spine.
• Can relieve sciatica, mild depression and fatigue.
• Because it stretches the lungs and chest it can be very therapeutic for asthma.
• Counteracts bad posture.

Click on Upward facing dog pose to find out how to do this pose step by step.

Upward Facing Dog pose / Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

step by step

• Lie on your stomach, forehead on the floor, your hands next to the ribs, fingers lining up with the lower ribs pointing forward. The top of your feet pressing in the floor and just as in Cobra pose lift the thighs and knees and keep the tailbone pointing towards the heels.
• On an inhalation press into your hands and feet, straighten the arms and lift the chest and also legs of the floor.
• Draw the shoulder blades onto your back and lift your sternum but draw the front lower ribs slightly back, Bring your tailbone towards your pubic bone and draw the navel slightly in and up to keep the lower back long.
• You can look either straight ahead, or look up, taking care to not compress the back of your neck when you look up.
• Open your heart.
• You can hold this pose anywhere between 5-15 breaths.
• To come out you lower yourself down on the floor on an outbreath, or lift yourself into downward facing dog .

Click on Urdhva mukha svanasana to find out about the benefits of this pose.