Lower back, hips and ankles

Upward Dog: Toes Tucked

Toes tucked under changes foot and calf engagement, adding a subtle variation to the same powerful spinal extension and anterior chain opening.

How to do it

1. 1

   Lie face down and tuck your toes under

   Toes turned under so the balls of the feet meet the floor, legs straight, hands beside your ribs.

2. 2

   Press back through the balls of your feet

   Tucked toes give you something to push against through the calves and the backs of the legs, and that is the whole difference in this version.

3. 3

   Straighten the arms and lift the chest and thighs

   Hips and thighs come off the floor, the chest travels forward and up, and the shoulders draw down away from the ears.

4. 4

   Hold 20 to 60 seconds, then lower slowly

   Untucking the toes returns you to the classic version, which is the option to take if the feet are not enjoying this.

What to watch for

Tucking the toes changes the feet and the legs, not the back, so the demand through the spine is unchanged from the classic. If the toes or the fronts of the ankles start to complain, untuck rather than pressing on.

Ways to adjust it

• Classic
• Knees on floor
• Classic position

If this one is too much today

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

• Upward Dog: Classic

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: Knees on Floor

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.