Upward Facing Dog
Upward facing dog is probably said just as much as downward facing dog in classes! Up dog is typically followed by down dog after all! In our downward facing dog tip, we mentioned that people often find the pose harder than they think it should be. The same can be said for upward facing dog…that is if your using the correct form!
Here are some tips to keep in mind the next time you make your way into up dog:
Press your chest toward the front of the room. If you have any neck problems, keep your head and neck in a neutral position with your gaze in front of you.
Keep your shoulders inline with your wrists so that you are not hyperextending your wrists and pull your shoulders down and away from your ears.
Press through the tops of your feet (balls of the feet should face the ceiling), lifting your thighs off of the mat. This helps to protect your lower back from becoming compressed.
If up dog isn’t in your practice yet, no worries! Instead of going into up dog, you can go into cobra or sphinx pose until you build up to up dog.