Bolster Your Upward-Going through Canine Pose

Upward-Going through Canine Pose (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) is likely one of the key components in Solar Salutations (Surya Namaskara). It’s usually paired with its littermate Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Going through Canine Pose), but it surely’s a worthy pose in its personal proper. Downward-Going through Canine Pose stands out as the higher recognized of the 2, however on this publish we’ll let its less-famous sibling have its day.

Upward-Going through Canine Pose supplies many advantages. Listed here are a couple of:

• Strengthens shoulders, arms, arms and wrists
• Counteracts the consequences of an excessive amount of sitting and bending ahead
• Can relieve decrease again ache
• Energizes the physique and thoughts

Upward-Going through Canine Pose is called for a loyal canine that seems within the Mahabarata. For those who’d wish to know concerning the story behind the pose, take a look at Zo Newell’s article in Yoga Worldwide.

Challenges and Options for Practising Upward-Going through Canine Pose

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is a difficult pose. It strengthens the shoulders, arms, arms and wrists as a result of it challenges them. There’s a bent to break down into the shoulders, arms and wrists within the pose. So as to keep away from relying an excessive amount of on these buildings, it’s vital to have interaction the remainder of the physique within the pose as nicely. The entire physique must contribute to the elevate within the pose. A Commonplace Yoga Bolster plus a pair Yoga Blocks may be extraordinarily useful in shifting the work within the pose to the decrease physique. This relieves stress in your arms and wrists. I’ll clarify the right way to use these props within the directions beneath.

The opposite bodily problem in Upward-Going through Canine Pose is the tendency to emphasize the low again. For those who follow the pose together with your head thrown again so that you simply’re trying on the sky, you’re most likely creating further stress in your again. Protecting your head in a impartial place on this pose helps to help your low again. That is as a result of positioning of a small bone within the prime of the throat, the hyoid bone. Right here’s a publish that explains the right way to use the hyoid bone to help the core in Chaturanga Dandasana (4-Limbed Workers Pose). You’ll be able to apply this data to any pose, however for the susceptible backbends, it’s particularly useful.

Contraindications for Practising Upward-Going through Canine Pose

Earlier than we dive into training the pose, I’d wish to share some conditions by which it could be greatest to keep away from training Urdhva Mukha Svanasana:

• Accidents to your arms, wrists, shoulders or low again
• Second and third trimesters of being pregnant
• Current stomach surgical procedure
• When you’ve got a headache, skip training this pose.

Apply Urdhva Mukha Svanasana with a Yoga Bolster

1. Collect your props: Yoga Mat, two Yoga Blocks, Commonplace Yoga Bolster.
2. Place your bolster crosswise in your mat about ⅔ of the best way towards the “head” finish of your mat. Place your blocks, shoulders-width aside, of their lowest setting, immediately in entrance of your bolster.
3. Begin in Downward-Going through Canine Pose together with your arms in your blocks. It’s possible you’ll discover that putting your arms on blocks shifts your weight again into your toes a bit greater than typical.
4. Shift your complete physique ahead and decrease your hips onto your bolster. The hipbones must be resting on fringe of the bolster.
5. Interact your legs by isometrically lifting them up towards the ceiling. Press your toes down into the ground.
6. Press down into your arms to elevate the chest, maintaining your elbows bent. Hold your head stage, trying straight forward.
7. Take 5 to 10 deep breaths. Then shift again into Downward-Going through Canine Pose together with your arms in your blocks.
8. While you’re prepared, launch your knees down onto the ground and relaxation in Balasana (Youngster’s Pose). You’ll be able to relaxation your forearms and brow in your bolster for further consolation.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started educating in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Apply and Yoga for Meditators, each printed by Rodmell Press. Her third ebook is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and folks sextet Pink Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards in 2010.