Upward Facing Dog
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.
3 Comments
Thank you so much
Comment by Roman Oct 03, 08, 11:13 pmHi Esther,
firstly, I want to thank you for all your work and enthusiastic method of teaching yoga. I am 34 years old and I was a Fitness Trainer for almost 10 years, then I stopped and went to work on a completely different thing, but I keep on doing my gimnastic everyday. Then I discovered Yoga, at about 2 years ago and I begun doing it every day. I had a lot of flexibility and I used to do a lot of the exercises/ poses of yoga in my previous routines, so it was easy to became an advanced learner.
Comment by Pedro Oct 07, 08, 9:04 amI am writing you to ask an advise. When I was doing the bridge pose and streched my abs a lot I made an injury … a beginning of an hernia, so I think I have to do a little cirgury. Meanwhile I kept on working my yoga everyday, but with more careful in that part. I ask what kind of exercises should I do to became better before and after my cirgury? Thank you a lot for everything. I have a great admiration for your work. Thank you and… please continue!!!!!
Hello Pedro,
When you have a hernia, you need to take it easy with your practice. There are a few different types of hernia, have you gone to a doctor? What did he/she say?
In the mean time, do not put any pressure on the abdomen, no cobra’s locusts bows etc, no forw bending or strong twists, gentle twisting is fine. More of a yin yoga approach to your practice, restorative poses, some standing poses, like three pose where you stabilize the spoas and lumbar spine. Absolutely no strong flows for now.
Deep abdominal breathing is good.
Hernia does mean you have to strengthen the abdominal muscles, especially the rectus abdominus.
this is something to focus on after the operation, after its properly healed.
I would really recommend asking for expert advice, face to face, so someone can work with you and give you some specific exercises for you.
No matter what, practice deep abdominal breathing, that really helps before and after the operation.
good luck with this, hope this is of any help to you.
Esther
Comment by Esther Oct 09, 08, 11:40 amyogatic!