Pairs with
Pose · U
Upward-Facing Dog
Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana
The chest lifted, the arms straight, the thighs and knees off the floor with only the hands and the tops of the feet in contact. Upward dog is the backbend that most classes move through without teaching, and it is also the one where a straight-arm push can quietly load the shoulders.
The shape, with joint angles
The angles are measured on the drawn skeleton and change with the variant you pick. Treat them as a starting reference, not a target to force.
Specification
| Sanskrit | Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana |
|---|---|
| Also called | Up dog |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Loads | Spine · Chest · Shoulders · Wrists |
| Props | Mat · Block |
| Typical hold | 20 sec |
| Gaze | |
| Published | 31 October 2026 · By The Asana Desk |
Getting in
- 01
Start lying face down with the hands beside the lower ribs, fingers spread, elbows bent and pointing back.
- 02
Press the tops of the feet into the floor so the legs are active, not floppy.
- 03
Inhale and straighten the arms, lifting the chest, the hips and the thighs off the floor.
- 04
Roll the upper arms outward so the shoulders move back and down, away from the ears.
- 05
Draw the lower ribs slightly back so the front of the body is long rather than compressed.
- 06
Keep the legs firm and the kneecaps lifted, with only the hands and the tops of the feet touching the floor.
- 07
Hold for 15 to 20 seconds, then lower with control on an exhale.
Working notes
Up dog is not a bigger cobra
| Detail | Cobra | Upward dog |
|---|---|---|
| Hips and thighs | On the floor | Lifted |
| Arms | Bent, elbows back | Straight, pressing down |
| Legs | Passive | Firm, kneecaps lifted |
| Main work | Back muscles | Arms and back together |
| Shoulders | Can stay relaxed | Must be drawn back and down |
Cobra keeps the hips and thighs on the floor and the arms are bent; the lift comes from the back muscles. Up dog lifts the hips and the thighs, the arms are straight, and the arms are doing a large share of the work. The two poses look similar in a photograph and feel completely different.
The posture of the shoulders is where they differ most. In Cobra the shoulders can stay relaxed; in Up dog they have to be deliberately drawn back and down, or the weight of the whole torso lands on the front of the shoulder joint.
The shoulders and the wrists
Two joints take the load in this pose, and both are easy to overload. The wrists are in full extension, which for many people is the limiting factor long before the back is; the shoulders are at the end of a straight arm carrying part of the body's weight.
Both have the same fix: shorten the pose. A slightly less lifted chest with the shoulders drawn back is better for both joints than a higher chest with the shoulders jammed forward.
Self-checks
- Are the shoulders moving back and down, or creeping up toward the ears?
- Are the thighs off the floor, with only the hands and the tops of the feet down?
- Are the kneecaps lifted and the legs firm?
- Are the wrists comfortable, or is the pose being held in the wrists?
Safety
Skip or heavily modify the pose if any of these apply to you. When in doubt, ask a teacher who can see you move, or a clinician who knows your history.
- Wrist injury or carpal tunnel: use blocks or forearms, never press through wrist pain.
- Shoulder impingement or a rotator cuff injury: keep the chest lower and the arms shorter.
- Acute lower back pain: come into the pose less, and keep the front ribs long.
- Pregnancy: skip this pose, particularly after the first trimester.
- High blood pressure: keep the head in line with the spine and shorten the hold.
This page is informational only. It is not medical advice and no pose here is a treatment for any condition.
- Knees down: the whole pose done from the knees, which removes the leg work and much of the load.
- Hands on blocks, which reduces the wrist extension angle considerably.
- Lower the chest by a few centimetres and keep the shoulder work — a shorter, honest version.
- Forearm support: a sphinx-like shape with the forearms down, when the wrists cannot take the extension.
Useful propsMat · Block
- Two blocks under the hands change this pose from a wrist test into a chest opener instantly.
- A folded mat under the palms, for the same reason, on a hard floor.
- A blanket under the knees if the thighs are being kept down.
- Wrist injury or carpal tunnel: use blocks or forearms, never press through wrist pain.
- Shoulder impingement or a rotator cuff injury: keep the chest lower and the arms shorter.
- Acute lower back pain: come into the pose less, and keep the front ribs long.
- Pregnancy: skip this pose, particularly after the first trimester.
- High blood pressure: keep the head in line with the spine and shorten the hold.
Inhale up into the pose, then breathe evenly with the ribs expanding into the back of the body.
- If the breath is shallow, the front ribs are compressed; draw the lower ribs back and try again.
- Come down on an exhale, with control — do not drop.
- Three breaths is a legitimate hold at first.