Upward Dog Yoga Pose

Many people know about Downward Facing Dog, but Upward Dog is less well known. Where Downward Facing Dog is about bending the spine inward, Upward Dog is about bending it outward.

Known as Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, this pose is a good one to work on to improve your back strength. Just remember to take it easy and to work at your own pace!

Start by laying face down on the floor. Bring your hands to rest alongside your shoulders, as if you were about to do a push-up. Spread your fingers wide. Then give a gentle push up, to push your upper torso away from the floor.

Your body slides forward slightly, so that there's a fairly straight line from your head down through your rib cage. Your arms should be straight up and down.

Remember that all bodies are different, so the way your body bends or touches the floor may be different than what a photo shows. That is OK. It might be that your stomach through your legs touch the floor. That's OK. Respect what your body can do right now.

This builds arm strength and also helps your back flexibility.

Yoga for Forgiveness Yoga for Stress Relief and Forgiveness provides a step by step recipe for calm and healing. Author Lisa Shea has been following this practice for a decade and over time has tweaked and polished the steps until each one resonates with serenity. Yoga for Forgiveness - Full Details

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