Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog Pose): Basics, Steps, Benefits & More

One of the yoga poses, Upward Facing Dog Pose, will challenge you to lift and open your chest.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, a classic famous backbend yoga pose, strengthens the arms, wrists and spine, opens the heart and lifts your head. This pose stretches the back, improves posture and relieves the body from lower back pain, can deal with depression and feelings of fatigue.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana Basics

Sanskrit Pronunciation	Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (OORD-vah MOO-kah shvon-AHS-anna)
Meaning	‘Urdhva’ means up, ‘Mukh’ means face, ‘Svan’ means dog, ‘Asana’ means posture
Pose Type	Backbend
Pose Level	Intermediate-level posture
Style of yoga	Hatha yoga
Other Names	Upward dog, forward-facing dog, Upward Facing Dog Pose
Stretches	The wrist, arms, spine, and shoulder
Strengthening	The arms
Duration	30 second to 3 minutes

Meaning

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is made up of four words (Urdhva + Mukha + Svan + Asana), where ‘Urdhva’ means up, ‘Mukh’ means face, ‘Svan’ means dog and ‘Asana’ means posture. In English, it is called Upward Facing Dog Pose.

Usually an intermediate-level symmetrical pose but a beginner for those practicing Ashtanga or Power Yoga – use this pose as a transition pose in Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and Shakti Yoga.

Upward Facing Dog Pose is a prone pose to prepare the body for more intense yoga poses/yoga flow so it can be incorporated into flow yoga sequences.

This powerful backbend is also currently performed around the world as a stretching exercise. It is a part of the yoga asanas performed in Surya Namaskar and its yoga posture is very similar to Bhujangasana yoga posture. For this posture you have to keep your body weight on your arms; And will remain above your feet.

Practice Guide For Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

The guide begins with an introduction to the pose, highlighting its significance in yoga practice and its potential benefits for the body and mind.

Preparatory Pose

• Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
• Four-Limbed Staff pose (Chaturanga Dandasana)
• Cobra pose (Bhujangasana)

Step To Do Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

Step 1- First of all, lie down on the ground on your stomach and keep your legs and arms straight. In this position, your toes should be up towards the ceiling.

Step 2- Now bend your hands at the elbows and place the palms on the ground slightly below your chest, pull up your knee cap, keep the chin on the ground and look in front.

Step 3- Taking a deep long breath in, lift the upper torso up, lifting your whole body up by pressing the ground forcefully with the palms. In this position, the weight of your body should be on the palms and the tip of your toe.

Step 4- Bend your back as much as you can, in this position your wrist is in line with the shoulder. Keep the neck normal and look towards the front.

Step 5 – Breathe normally and hold this position for 10 to 20 seconds or as per capacity.

Step 6- While exhaling slowly keep your lower body on the ground, now keep your upper torso on the ground and relax in the pose of Makarasana.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana For Beginners

If you do not do yoga regularly then your body does not have flexibility and strength, there are many such asanas which you may feel difficulty in doing. Therefore, in the initial stage you should do the asanas in a simple way, this will make you feel relaxed. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is a difficult asana, so taking too much stress can cause pain in your body.

• Lie on the ground on your stomach in the position of Makarasana.
• Now keep your hands beside the body near the chest.
• Keep your feet straight, the toes should be towards the sky.
• While inhaling, raise the upper torso, and keep the arms straight.
• Look towards the front, and keep the breathing rate normal.
• After staying in this posture for 5 to 10 seconds, exhale slowly and keep your torso on the ground.

Do this asana as per your capacity, if you are not feeling comfortable in doing this simple method then please practice other simple asanas first, after gaining strength in the body, you can also practice this asana.

Benefits 

Stimulates the abdominal muscles – Urdhva Mukha Svanasana produces a stretch in the abdominal muscles. This gives the abdominal organs a slight massage, which not only strengthens the abdominal muscles but also potentially improves their functioning. Let us tell you that this is such an asana that has more effect on the stomach.

Opens the chest – The upward dog pose expands your chest and rib cage —especially counteracting the rounding of the spine. Bringing your shoulders back and down will maximize this benefit and provide postural benefits.

Stretches wrists and tones arm muscles – While doing Upward dog, the entire weight of the body rests on the palms. Pressing the palms down firmly with the weight of the body strengthens the wrists, and keeps them in a state of balance. This asana strengthens and tones the arms, legs, shoulders, arms, and chest as well, thereby preventing stress injuries.

Boost energy – By doing upward dog, extra energy is transmitted in the body. Apart from this, it also plays an important role in rejuvenating the whole body.

Precautions

• If you have a back injury then avoid doing this asana.

• People suffering from wrist problems or carpal tunnel syndrome should also avoid doing this asana.

• Do not exercise during pregnancy.

Conclusion

The upward-facing dog is an intermediate-level prone pose, a back-bending yoga posture that offers a deep back stretch while stimulating the core.

This is a traditional part of the Surya Namaskar series (sun salutations) and is similar to Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose).

In Cobra Pose, the entire lower body touches the floor, while in Upward-Facing Dog Pose, the lower body from the hips to the ankles does not touch the floor.