기본 콘텐츠로 건너뛰기

Upward-Facing Dog will challenge you to lift and open your chest.

Upward-Facing Dog Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions




Step 1
Lie prone on the floor. Stretch your legs back, with the tops of your feet on the floor. Bend your elbows and spread your palms on the floor beside your waist so that your forearms are relatively perpendicular to the floor.


Step 2
Inhale and press your inner hands firmly into the floor and slightly back, as if you were trying to push yourself forward along the floor. Then straighten your arms and simultaneously lift your torso up and your legs a few inches off the floor on an inhalation. Keep the thighs firm and slightly turned inward, the arms firm and turned out so the elbow creases face forward.


Step 3
Press the tailbone toward the pubis and lift the pubis toward the navel. Narrow the hip points. Firm but don't harden the buttocks.



Step 4
Firm the shoulder blades against the back and puff the side ribs forward. Lift through the top of the sternum but avoid pushing the front ribs forward, which only hardens the lower back. Look straight ahead or tip the head back slightly, but take care not to compress the back of the neck and harden the throat.

Step 5
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is one of the positions in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence. You can also practice this pose individually, holding it anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds, breathing easily. Release back to the floor or lift into Adho Mukha Svanasana with an exhalation.







Contraindications and Cautions
  • Back injury
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Headache
  • Pregnancy

Modifications and Props

Often it's difficult to keep the legs strongly suspended above the floor. Before you move into the pose, position a thick blanket roll below your top thighs. When you are in the pose, lightly rest your thighs on this roll as you press the tailbone closer to the roll.

Deepen the Pose

To increase the strength and lightness of this pose, push from the backs of your knees along the calves and out through the heels. The tops of your feet will press more firmly against the floor; as they do, lift the top sternum up and forward.

Beginner's Tip

There's a tendency in this pose to "hang" on the shoulders, which lifts them up toward the ears and "turtles" the neck. Actively draw the shoulders away from the ears by lengthening down along the back armpits, pulling the shoulder blades toward the tailbone, and puffing the side ribs forward. If you need help learning this, lift each hand on a block.

Benefits

  • Improves posture
  • Strengthens the spine, arms, wrists
  • Stretches chest and lungs, shoulders, and abdomen
  • Firms the buttocks
  • Stimulates abdominal organs
  • Helps relieve mild depression, fatigue, and sciatica
  • Therapeutic for asthma

댓글

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

Yoga exercise for digestion, Noose Pose

In the noose pose, the arms are wrapped around the squatting legs and the hands are clasped behind the back, forming a "noose." This position, suitable for intermediate and advanced students, is described in the Full Pose section below. First we'll look at a simpler version of this twist, using the wall as a prop. Noose Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions Step 1 Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) next to a wall with your feet hip-width and parallel to each other. Ideally, you will stand forearm distance from the wall. So, as you stand in Tadasana with the wall on your right side, turn to the right and press your right palm into the wall-from wrist to elbow, your forearm should be parallel to the ground. Adjust your distance to the wall accordingly and turn your torso back to center. Step 2 Bend your knees into a full squat, with your buttocks sitting on your heels. If you're not able to get the heels fully on the floor, squat with the heels raised o...

Stretches the inner thighs, groins, and knees. Reclining Bound Angle Pose

A classic restorative posture, Supta Baddha Konasana or Reclining Bound Angle Pose can be modified for any level of hip and groin resistance. Reclining Bound Angle Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions Step 1 Perform Baddha Konasana. Exhale and lower your back torso toward the floor, first leaning on your hands. Once you are leaning back on your forearms, use your hands to spread the back of your pelvis and release your lower back and upper buttocks through your tailbone. Bring your torso all the way to the floor, supporting your head and neck on a blanket roll or bolster if needed. Step 2 With your hands grip your topmost thighs and rotate your inner thighs externally, pressing your outer thighs away from the sides of your torso. Next slide your hands along your outer thighs from the hips toward the knees and widen your outer knees away from your hips. Then slide your hands down along your inner thighs, from the knees to the groins. Imagine that your inner gr...

Yoga exercise for shoulders and spine. Thread the Needle Pose

What is Thread the Needle Pose? Thread the Needle Pose is a stretch that opens the shoulders and stretches the spine. This calming pose is great for beginners and advanced practitioners alike, and it can also help relieve chronic shoulder or back pain. The posture utilizes the support of the floor to allow for relaxing into the pose and focusing on breathing. How do you do Thread the Needle Pose? Step 1 Start in a neutral position on all fours, keeping your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Tuck your toes under. Step 2 Open up your chest to the right as you extend your right arm toward the ceiling. Direct your gaze toward your raised hand. Step 3 Begin to move your right arm under your chest toward the mat. Your torso should naturally shift to face downward. Keep both knees and your left arm grounded for support. Step 4 Continue to slide your right arm onto the mat, allowing your right shoulder to rest ...