Upward-Facing Dog

Instructions

1. 1Lie face down with your hands flat on the mat beneath your shoulders, fingers spread wide.
2. 2Press firmly through the tops of your feet and engage your thighs to lift them slightly off the mat.
3. 3Inhale and straighten your arms, lifting your chest, abdomen, and thighs off the floor.
4. 4Draw your shoulders back and down, opening the chest without crunching the neck.
5. 5Gaze forward or slightly upward, keeping the back of the neck long.
6. 6Hold for 1–3 breaths, then exhale and lower back down with control.

Contraindications & precautions

• ⚠Wrist injury or carpal tunnel syndrome — avoid full weight-bearing on the wrists and use fists or blocks instead.
• ⚠Lower back pain or herniated disc — the lumbar extension in this pose can aggravate existing compression.
• ⚠Pregnancy (second and third trimester) — prone positions and deep backbends place pressure on the abdomen and should be avoided.