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Urdhva Mukha Svanasana - The Upward-facing dog pose
'Svana' means 'dog' in Sanskrit.
Sequence:
- Lie on your stomach and place your chin on the floor.
- Place your feet close to each other with your palms flat on ground, on either side of your chest.
- Inhale and hoist yourself off the floor, with the body supported only by palms and toes.
- The knees and stomach should be lifted off the floor.
- Continue breathing normally while making the following adjustments.
- Arms should be straight; this deepens the arch at the lower back.
- Head tilts back, further deepening the arch.
- Hold this pose as long as comfortably possible, breathing normally.
- Release and relax to the starting position with while exhaling.
Caution:
- Person with weak or injured wrists or lower back pain should not perform this pose.
Benefits:
- It is a powerful stamina-builder.
- It tones the arms, spinal nerves (elevating mood and mental control) and legs superbly.
- Removes wrinkles from neck and face.
- Improves voice and balances thyroid hormone flow.
- The pose boosts respiratory capacity and is therapeutic in digestive problems (like constipation, sluggish metabolism), diabetes and uro-genital problems.