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Lower back, upper back, neck, hips, shoulders, wrists and ankles

Upward Dog: Classic

A full anterior chain opening with your hips lifted off the floor, building powerful extension strength through your entire spine and shoulders.

Upper Limb Weight Bearing20 to 60 seconds
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How to do it

  1. 1

    Lie face down with your hands beside your ribs

    Legs straight, tops of the feet on the floor, elbows tucked in close to your sides.

  2. 2

    Press the tops of your feet firmly into the floor

    The legs stay switched on for the whole pose. That is what spreads the lift along the body instead of letting it collect in one place.

  3. 3

    Straighten your arms and lift the chest and thighs

    Hips and thighs come clear of the floor, so only the hands and the tops of the feet are down. Send the chest forward and up rather than pushing the hips higher.

  4. 4

    Draw your shoulders down and away from your ears

    The collarbones widen, the neck stays long, and the gaze stays forward rather than thrown back.

  5. 5

    Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, then lower with control

    Build the time up gradually. Knees on the floor, a bolster under the hips, or a low baby cobra all take load out, and fists or blocks under the hands help the wrists.

What to watch for

The whole bend collecting in one small spot low in the back while the shoulders creep up to the ears. If any sensation starts travelling further down a leg, come out and take a lower version.

Ways to adjust it

  • Knees on floor
  • Bolster
  • Baby Cobra
  • Gaze forward cue
  • Hands on blocks
  • Fists
  • Blocks
  • Toes tucked variation

If this one is too much today

Try the gentler version instead. It asks less of you and does much the same work.

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits. See all Upward Dog versions in one place, ordered from gentlest to strongest.

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

One movement is a start. A session is the thing.

A few questions about your body and how it is today, and Vinys builds a session around it, including which movements to leave out.

Start your first session

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.