Yoga: Revitalise your pose

"Urdhva" means "upwards", "mukha" means "face" and "svana" means "dog".

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana — meaning Upward Facing Dog in Sanskrit — is a posture that is both refreshing and revitalising. Our contemporary lifestyle requires our bodies to continuously fold forward.

For example, when we are sitting in front of a computer all day or sitting in a car for hours and hours on end, we tend to over-stretch the prone side of our body.

Urdhva mukha svanasana is an extremely beneficial counter pose to our daily lives.

Procedure

• Come into plank pose (see image 1)
• While exhaling, bend your elbows, keep your body straight and parallel to the floor, bring it as close to the floor as possible without touching the ground.
• Flatten your feet so the upper part of your foot is on the floor, inhale and scoop your head through and up, while stretching your arms and keeping your knees off the floor.
• Arch your back, as much as possible. Roll the shoulders back to bring the shoulders over the wrists.
• Hold the posture for up to one minute maintaining normal breathing.

Benefits

• It improves the posture and strengthens the spinal column, arms and wrists.
• It provides a stretch to the chest and lungs, shoulders and abdomen.
• It stimulates the abdominal organs.
• It relieves fatigue, mild depression and sciatica.
• It has therapeutic benefits for asthma.

Caution

Do not practise this posture if you have a back or a shoulder injury, or carpal tunnel syndrome.

Bharat Thakur guides you through practices that will connect you to the wisdom of the ancient Indian science of exercising.