Bhujangasana pose (Cobra) to Urdhvamukha Shavasana (Updog)
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Benefits of Cobra Pose:
Benefits of Upward facing dog
Consistent and determined practice of upward facing dog can do the following:
Back-bending poses like updog counteract this growing problem. Once we are in better more lifted postures, it automatically puts our abdominal organs in a better functioning position. It is also a great pose to tone our arms and legs and open our hearts.
Urdhva mukha svanasana, or upward facing dog pose, is often practiced in tandem with its sibling, adho mukha svanasana, downward facing dog pose. So frequently are these two paired together that it can be difficult to separate them in our minds. How do you enter upward facing dog? Does your mind go immediately to down-dog and the familiar transition that is part of most sun salutations and vinyasas? Let's see this dog have its day, and appreciate it as an asana in its own right.
Imagine lines of energy running diagonally through your body from the lower tips of your shoulder blades to your collarbones, as though the shoulder blades were supporting the collarbones and helping to open your top chest.
Setup for Upward Facing Dog-upward facing dog is a prone back-bend, meaning that you begin by lying on your stomach, feet hip-width apart. Stretch your legs back. Tuck your toes for a moment and stretch out through your heels to lengthen the backs of your legs. Now untuck your toes and place the tops of your feet on the floor.
Bend your elbows and place your hands on the floor so that your forearms are more or less perpendicular to the floor. Your fingertips may be level with your shoulders or farther back toward your waist—a lot depends on the length of your arms; the point is to have your wrists under your elbows when you straighten your arms. Your elbows should be close to your ribs, not flaring out to the sides, but not squeezing into your sides so much that your shoulders roll forward.
Coming into Upward Facing Dog On an inhale, press your hands into the mat and roll the tops of your shoulders back. Bring the bottom tips of your shoulder blades forward, toward your front body, and lift your chest. Imagine lines of energy running diagonally through your body from the lower tips of your shoulder blades to your collarbones, as though the shoulder blades were supporting the collarbones and helping to open your top chest. Now straighten your arms and press the tops of your feet down as you lift your torso and legs off the floor. Your wrists, elbows, and shoulders should now be “stacked” upright in one easy, energetic line.
Refining the Pose Roll your inner thighs in, toward the floor. Firm your buttocks, but don't clench them. Lift the top of your pubic bone toward your breastbone, elongating the front body. Lengthen your tailbone toward the space between your heels, elongating the back body.
Slide your rib cage toward your head. Lift the base of your skull off the top vertebra of your neck. Imagine a tiny airbag between your skull and C-1 (your top cervical vertebra); inflate that airbag. Let your neck and head follow the natural line of your spine; don’t shorten the back of the neck by over-lifting your chin; keep it long and free. It may help to think of your neck as starting between your shoulder blades; from that point, lengthen your spine without moving the neck itself. You will feel your head rising. Trust your arms and legs and spine to hold you up—don't try to enlist the neck and jaw to help. Picture the expression on a dog's face when he stretches like this and keep the energy of the pose happy and playful. Stay for several breaths and then come down.
The difference between Cobra and Updog
- Stretches muscles in the shoulders, chest and abdominals
- Decreases stiffness of the lower back
- Strengthens the arms and shoulders
- Increases flexibility
- Improves menstrual irregularities
- Elevates mood
- Firms and tones the buttocks
- Invigorates the heart
- Stimulates organs in the abdomen, like the kidneys
- Relieves stress and fatigue
- Opens the chest and helps to clear the passages of the heart and lungs
- Improves circulation of blood and oxygen, especially throughout the spinal and pelvic regions
- Improves digestion
- Strengthens the spine
- Soothes sciatica
- Helps to ease symptoms of asthma
Benefits of Upward facing dog
Consistent and determined practice of upward facing dog can do the following:
- Strengthen the spine, arms and wrists
- Stimulate the organs of the abdomen
- Improve posture, by stretching anterior spine and strengthening posterior spine
- Stretch chest and lungs, shoulders and abdomen
- Help to relieve depression, fatigue and pain of sciatica
- Increase lung capacity to relieve the symptoms of asthma
Back-bending poses like updog counteract this growing problem. Once we are in better more lifted postures, it automatically puts our abdominal organs in a better functioning position. It is also a great pose to tone our arms and legs and open our hearts.
Urdhva mukha svanasana, or upward facing dog pose, is often practiced in tandem with its sibling, adho mukha svanasana, downward facing dog pose. So frequently are these two paired together that it can be difficult to separate them in our minds. How do you enter upward facing dog? Does your mind go immediately to down-dog and the familiar transition that is part of most sun salutations and vinyasas? Let's see this dog have its day, and appreciate it as an asana in its own right.
Imagine lines of energy running diagonally through your body from the lower tips of your shoulder blades to your collarbones, as though the shoulder blades were supporting the collarbones and helping to open your top chest.
Setup for Upward Facing Dog-upward facing dog is a prone back-bend, meaning that you begin by lying on your stomach, feet hip-width apart. Stretch your legs back. Tuck your toes for a moment and stretch out through your heels to lengthen the backs of your legs. Now untuck your toes and place the tops of your feet on the floor.
Bend your elbows and place your hands on the floor so that your forearms are more or less perpendicular to the floor. Your fingertips may be level with your shoulders or farther back toward your waist—a lot depends on the length of your arms; the point is to have your wrists under your elbows when you straighten your arms. Your elbows should be close to your ribs, not flaring out to the sides, but not squeezing into your sides so much that your shoulders roll forward.
Coming into Upward Facing Dog On an inhale, press your hands into the mat and roll the tops of your shoulders back. Bring the bottom tips of your shoulder blades forward, toward your front body, and lift your chest. Imagine lines of energy running diagonally through your body from the lower tips of your shoulder blades to your collarbones, as though the shoulder blades were supporting the collarbones and helping to open your top chest. Now straighten your arms and press the tops of your feet down as you lift your torso and legs off the floor. Your wrists, elbows, and shoulders should now be “stacked” upright in one easy, energetic line.
Refining the Pose Roll your inner thighs in, toward the floor. Firm your buttocks, but don't clench them. Lift the top of your pubic bone toward your breastbone, elongating the front body. Lengthen your tailbone toward the space between your heels, elongating the back body.
Slide your rib cage toward your head. Lift the base of your skull off the top vertebra of your neck. Imagine a tiny airbag between your skull and C-1 (your top cervical vertebra); inflate that airbag. Let your neck and head follow the natural line of your spine; don’t shorten the back of the neck by over-lifting your chin; keep it long and free. It may help to think of your neck as starting between your shoulder blades; from that point, lengthen your spine without moving the neck itself. You will feel your head rising. Trust your arms and legs and spine to hold you up—don't try to enlist the neck and jaw to help. Picture the expression on a dog's face when he stretches like this and keep the energy of the pose happy and playful. Stay for several breaths and then come down.
The difference between Cobra and Updog
- Keep things lifted: According to Schuyler, the most crucial differences between Cobra Pose and Upward Facing Dog is that your legs and pelvis are well off the floor in Upward Facing Dog. In Cobra Pose, your legs, pelvis, and even your lower ribs stay on the floor with your elbows bent to help lengthen your spine. If you're going to move into the full expression of Upward Facing Dog with your arms straight, then your legs and pelvis need to be off the floor; otherwise you could do major damage to your lower back.
- Back-bend beginnings: Although you might not recognise it, Upward Facing Dog actually acts as a back-bend. Schuyler explains that the idea behind Cobra and Up Dog is to "maintain stability in your lower abdomen and lengthen your lower back." When you draw attention to your belly and back, you'll find that bringing the back-bend to your upper back comes much more naturally. Once you make this shift in your practice, you'll find more flexibility (and less tension) between your shoulder blades and in your chest, two troublesome spots for people who sit at a 9-to-5 job all day.
- Pull your chest forward and through: People tend to hang out in Upward Facing Dog and focus on pushing up through their arms. Underutilizing your legs, chest, and shoulder muscles in Upward Dog is a big mistake, since those are what should be working in the pose. Schuyler gives a helpful tip to visualise the pose once you're moving into it: "Always feel like you're pulling your chest forward and through, not pushing it up away from the floor." Once you take this tip to your Upward Facing Dog and even Cobra Pose, you will feel a difference in the comfort and intensity of your back-bend.
EXERCISES
1. Think of all the different types of energy from other people you are exposed to during your average day.
Consider what kinds of energy patterns (positive and negative) you are making in your body from these various energies. Make an intention to choose to expose your body to positive, healing and loving energy.
2. Reflect on a past situation where you can see how prolonged grief, anxiety, fear or depression directly impacted your physical health.
Conversely, remember a time of enthusiasm, passion, or being in love during which you felt the buoyancy of that energy animate and strengthen your physical health.
3. Evaluate the following basic areas of life and answer whether they are supporting your health and balance or not.
Thank you Leisa and Jen
Feel free to comment, Like and Share
1. Think of all the different types of energy from other people you are exposed to during your average day.
Consider what kinds of energy patterns (positive and negative) you are making in your body from these various energies. Make an intention to choose to expose your body to positive, healing and loving energy.
2. Reflect on a past situation where you can see how prolonged grief, anxiety, fear or depression directly impacted your physical health.
Conversely, remember a time of enthusiasm, passion, or being in love during which you felt the buoyancy of that energy animate and strengthen your physical health.
3. Evaluate the following basic areas of life and answer whether they are supporting your health and balance or not.
- Food / diet
- Physical activity / exercise
- Home environment
- Work environment
- Career
- Sleep
- Partnership relationship
- Family relationships
- Friendships
- Work relationships
- Interests/ books / TV / websites / entertainmentConsider the areas of your life where the energy is blocked, distorted or imbalanced and use the subtle action of the body as flowing energy to correct the imbalance in those areas, making the energy efficient and harmonious.
(Reminder: Subtle action: 1) gentle intention 2) commitment and trust 3) ease and openness 4) repeat until effect achieved.)
For example, if your home environment is not generating positive energy in your life, make an intent to create more positive spaces in your home.
Thank you Leisa and Jen
Feel free to comment, Like and Share
