Yoga diary’The archive series is a curated collection of articles originally published in earlier issues dating back to 1975. This article first appeared in the November-December 1983 issue of Yoga diary.
Upward Facing Dog Pose (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana), is an excellent beginning backbend and an efficient arm-strengthening pose. It can be practiced by beginners as it teaches chest opening and lower back stabilization. So it is necessary if more advanced back bends are to be performed without injuries.
According to BKS Iyengar, when practiced properly, the Upward Facing Dog can rejuvenate the spine, enlarge the lungs and increase blood flow to the pelvic area. This pose also helps the back by stretching the front of the thigh, the hip flexor muscles. If these muscles are too tight, they cause the student to create too much of an arch in the lower back when standing. It should be remembered that the lower back has a gentle curve; anything that consistently increases or decreases this curve while standing and sitting will eventually cause back pain.
Upward facing dog and your lower back
When trying to stretch the spine, it is critical to remember that the lumbar (lower) spine can be easily stretched due to the angle at which the facets (joints) meet. The thoracic region (mid-back) does not extend easily, partly because the angle of the facets does not facilitate this movement, and because of the structure of the vertebrae themselves. Therefore, when attempting a backward bending movement, there will likely be too much curvature in the lumbar spine and not enough in the thoracic spine.
However, through awareness one learns to stabilize the lumbar region by tightening the buttocks and legs (not the feet) and to lengthen the chest region by lifting the chest and pushing with the arms. Then the curvature of the spine is more even and strain on the lower back is avoided. At the same time, the muscles that support this area are strengthened.
In most cases of lower back strain, the student feels better if he lies on the floor and practices a variation in which one or both knees are brought to the chest. This can relieve tension in the lower back, but will not prevent future problems as it does not strengthen the area. Only by stretching the spine do the back muscles become strong and can better support the spine.
This asana can also benefit the lower back in two less direct ways. First, keeping the thoracic spine loose helps prevent the development of too much curvature in this area, which can cause the lumbar spine to flatten. As we discussed above, this flattening can cause lower back pain. By keeping the thoracic spine properly aligned, the lumbar spine is more likely to be healthy.
The second way the Upward Facing Dog can indirectly help the lower back is by keeping the arms strong. In everyday life, most of us occasionally need to lift, carry and move heavy objects. If the core, shoulder and arm muscles are strong and can work efficiently, the back is less likely to have to be overloaded. This asana is quite good for strengthening the arms, especially when practiced in combination with the partner pose, Downward Dog Pose, where the buttocks are kept high and the head down. The process of moving from downward dog to upward dog strengthens the arms, as does holding upward dog.
Strength and softness
Upward Facing Dog is a beautiful expression of the combination of strength and gentleness. The arms represent strength, as the student pushes away from gravity and attempts to lift and open the chest.
Strength is also manifested in the activity of the legs; the knees are tight, the thighs grip the bones and the feet are active. This proper use of force can then soften the spine and retract it into the body. Please note that this softness of the spine is in no way a weakness or a collapse. The slumping of the lower back, which can occur if the pose is practiced incorrectly, usually causes immediate pain. But softness in the spine is experienced as a feeling of lightness and freedom, which often brings a smile to the student’s face. The Upward Facing Dog’s joy should therefore move like a wave from the base of the spine, the coccyx, along the spine to the head, allowing the head to drop and the chest to open.
With this openness comes the desire to do more, lift more, experience the pose more. This is a sign that the pose is being practiced correctly. If the posture is incorrect, the mind can force the body to perform, but there is no joy. On the other hand, when the body enjoys the pose, there is an irresistible urge to go deeper into the pose, and the mind is spontaneously calmed.
This is the difference between working from the ego and working from the heart. When this difference is understood, the student begins to understand the difference between asana and exercise and moves toward a broader understanding of what yoga is all about.
How to practice upward facing dog
Beginners may find it helpful to work on the wall. The feet are positioned as in Figure 2, with the toes curled downward and the heels pointed toward the wall. The student then rises from a lying position so that the chest is high, the arms are straight, the hands are under the shoulders, the buttocks are tight, the knees are up and the heels are pushing back towards the wall. The advantage of the wall is that the beginner is more likely to remember to use the legs and push through it. The breathing is silent; the position is held for up to one minute, followed by lying on the stomach on the floor, and then repeated.
By standing on the toes, the beginner will be less likely to get cramps in the feet due to overloading these muscles and will not lower the lower back too much. The more experienced student can practice the position shown in Figure 3, with the weight resting on the tops of the feet and the head thrown back. Be careful not to compress the back of the neck as you drop the head. This can be avoided by lifting the back of the neck first and being careful when extending backwards from the base of the neck, rather than expecting the head itself to fall back.
Improper posture can be seen in Figure 4. Here the student is squeezing the neck, dropping the shoulders, arching the loins, and not using the legs correctly, which can cause them to rotate outward. This wrong attitude shows a lack of knowledge, concentration and awareness. Without these, the asana does little to discipline the mind and can harm the body.
#communal #backbend #teaches #embrace #strength #gentleness