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

Upward Dog: Knees on Floor

Knees on the floor significantly reduces the load while maintaining the same spinal extension pattern, making this powerful pose more accessible for building strength.

How to do it

1. 1

   Lie face down and place your hands beside your ribs

   Legs long behind you, tops of the feet down, elbows close in.

2. 2

   Keep both knees on the floor as you press up

   The knees stay down for the whole pose. That is what makes this version lighter, while the shape through the spine stays the same as the full one.

3. 3

   Straighten your arms and lift the chest forward and up

   Only the chest and belly rise. Let the whole front of the body lengthen instead of hinging at one point.

4. 4

   Widen the collarbones and keep the neck long

   Shoulders slide down away from the ears, gaze forward and level.

5. 5

   Hold 20 to 60 seconds, then lower down slowly

   A bolster under the hips or a lower baby cobra takes it down further. Blocks or fists under the hands help if the wrists prefer a different angle.

What to watch for

Letting the hips sag toward the floor so all of the bend lands in one small place low down. Knees on the floor makes this lighter, not different, so the front of the body still has to stay long.

Ways to adjust it

• Bolster
• Baby Cobra
• Gaze forward cue
• Blocks
• Fists

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.

• Upward Dog: Bolster Under Pelvis
• Upward Dog: Chair
• Upward Dog: Classic
• Upward Dog: From Plank (Vinyasa)
• Upward Dog: Hands on Blocks
• Upward Dog: Toes Tucked

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.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.