Overview
This is a balancing pose which strengthens the core muscles (abdominal and back), arms and leg muscles.
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Joint Actions
Muscular Actions
Upward Facing Dog
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Overview
This is a prone pose which focuses on back bending (spinal extension) and chest opening (thoracic extension, scapular retraction and shoulder external rotation), hence strengthening the spinal extensors and scapular muscles while lengthening the abdominal muscles and hip flexors. This pose is an advanced version of Cobra pose, with the thighs lifted off the floor and the elbows extended to create a deeper backbend.
Joint actions​
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Muscular actions
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Nerves
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Femoral
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Notes
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As the hips and thighs are lifted off the ground in this posture, there is a tendency to “hang” off the shoulders which cause the shoulders to elevate to the ears. This essentially results in the torso hanging off the glenohumeral joint which may result in strains or other injuries over time. Therefore, it is important to keep the scapulae depressed and retracted, the GH joint extended and kept in slight adduction, and the cervical spine long and extended.
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Precaution & Contraindications
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Back injury
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Carpal tunnel syndrome
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Headache
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Pregnancy