02/05/2022
🧘🏼Upward facing dog pose
🧚🏻 benefit
Opens the chest. ...
Stimulates the abdominal muscles. ...
Strengthens back muscles. ...
Stretches wrists and tones arm muscles. ...
Lengthens the spine.
The practice of Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is very commonly seen in Ashtanga Yoga and many Vinyasa Flows, and the practice of the same comes with many benefits. These are explained below:
Stretches, Strengthens, Lengthens : This pose gives a full stretch to the anterior body from the ankles to the head. The quadriceps, psoas, shin muscles, posterior ankles are sustainably stretched. The posterior body is strengthened. The hamstrings, knees, arms, shoulders, and wrists are toned. The cervical spine is stretched with the neck bend, and the lumbar spine is extended with the lower body backbend. The hip flexors are engaged in an internal rotation. The shoulders are fortified with the shoulder blades aligned close to each other. In addition, with the feet resting on the floor, there is a stretch in the front part of the feet while lengthening the front body upwards and backward. This action also stimulates the retinaculum (network of tissues around the tendons of the ankle joint), which are generally never stretched in our day-to-day activities. Refer: Feet Curl. The lengthening of arms and engagement of the triceps and biceps help to keep the shoulders strong and stable. Thus, in all the entire muscles of the body, the connecting tissues of the soles and palms are active and strengthened.
Flexibility and Range of Motion: This pose enhances body flexibility by the symmetrical stretching and contraction of the muscles. The stretching of the lower back and neck enhances spinal flexibility. There is a chest opening with the shoulder blades adduction. The lower body is toned due to the sustainable stretching and contraction of the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. This pose stretches the psoas muscles and helps the student to progress to advanced poses like Reclined Thunderbolt Pose (Supta Vajrasana), Little Thunderbolt Pose (Laghu Vajrasana), Chakrasana (Wheel Pose),Two-legged Inverted Staff Pose ( Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana), and the likes of it.
Chest, Diaphragm and Breath: Upward facing dog is a heart opener pose. When the upper body is raised, the practitioner opens the chest and rolls back the shoulders blades. There is an expansion of the chest cavity with the shoulder adduction and the thoracic spine aligned towards the chest. The diaphragm expands, and the breath capacity increases. The chest expansion creates lung space and is effective for cardiac functioning, too.
Awareness and Focus (Concentration): In Upward-Facing Dog Pose, the student has to shift the weight equally between the legs and hands. Students should not lock their elbows to avoid pressure on their wrists. The student has to hover the body slightly above the mat and not rest. The student rises on an inhale and keeps the shoulders broad and away from the ears. The neck is in a soft backbend with the chin away from the chest. The feet are closely aligned, touching each other in a feet curl. These alignments are done with awareness.
Alignment and Posture: This pose strengthens the back, pelvis, shoulders, and arms actively. The rear leg is toned, and the anterior leg is stretched. The psoas is extended, which gives relief to the lumbar spine. These alignments create agility and flexibility and align the body posture.
Energizing, De-stressing, Relaxing: Given the nature of this pose, the most active part of the body in the front torso, which is between the navel and diaphragm. The deep lengthening and stretching of this part of the body ensures that the sama vayu (which is the vayu that is most active between the navel and diaphragm) is stimulated and active. In addition this vayu is responsible for improved digestive system and the functioning of the various abdominal organs. Therefore when the prana vayu (the energy located at the diaphragm and throat) is improved with the stretching of the neck and chest, then sama vayu is also active and keeps the fire (agni) balanced. With the gentle involvement of the pelvic, hips, and psoas, the apana vayu (the energy located between the navel and perineum) is also active helping in the downward flow of energy (the unwanted energy moving out of the body). Lastly, with the active use of the arms and legs, the udana vayu (the energy located in the limbs - shoulders and fingertips, hips to toes) is also active and keeps the spine active and energized. Thus, with the overall body's prana (energy) flow which is the vyana vayu the entire body is balanced, keeping it calm, yet active.
Stimulation and Organs: The deep stretch at the upper and lower abdomen helps in the stretching and the opening of the abdominal muscles, which further stimulates the internal organs. The pituitary gland is an endocrine gland that helps with a hormonal secretion that controls growth and blood pressure and keeps the body’s metabolism. This gland is located in the base of the brain, and the stretch of the head in a backbend helps stimulate this gland. The pineal gland is located near the brain’s center. It produces hormones that control the central nervous system, one of which is controlling and modulating the sleep patterns of the human body. The thyroid gland is also an endocrine gland in the neck and secretes the thyroid hormone, influencing the human body’s metabolic rate and protein synthesis. The deep neck stretch in Urdhva Mukha Svanasana helps activate these glands, thus improving their functions.
Therapeutic, Healing and Ailments: With the stimulation of the endocrine and thyroid glands, this pose is effective in treating thyroid imbalance-related ailments and diabetes. Insomnia and sleeping disorders also are treated with this pose. Therapists can treat lower back pain with this pose. A deep stretch of the chest and the diaphragm improves the lung capacity with deeper breathing, thus fighting asthma. Posture correction and spinal alignment are key factors that address an imbalance in the body, and yoga teachers can treat students with these problems. Yoga teachers can use this pose for digestive ailments like constipation, flatulence, IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), and Low appetite. Migraine and ailments due to vata doshas can be cured by this pose.
Circulation and Systems: Spinal toning calms the nervous system. The lumbar spinal stretch activates the connected parasympathetic nerves. The muscular stretch enhances blood circulation by removing blockages. The abdominal stretch stimulates the digestive system. The chest opening benefits pulmonary and cardiac functioning.
Others: Women , kids, teens and sports people can do this pose.
