In 90% of the images of Upward Facing Dog yoga posture we see the person looking upward, with a deep arch in the lower back. Just because it's what we always see, doesn't make it right. Read on, to find out what you really need to know.
One of the key foundations of our Yoga Time Warrior practice is Function over Form, so attempting to judge a posture/pose without understanding exactly how it feels for that individual goes against that principle. If it doesn't feel right for the individual then it isn't right, no matter how technically correct it appears. This is especially important when the practitioner's intention is to use yoga for posture alignment.
We use a very important cue in our Yoga Time Warrior practice..... "Draw the chin towards the chest"
The intention of this cue is to ensure that when you're in positions such as Upward Facing Dog that you don't compress the back of your vertebrae by over-arching back into your spine, whether that be the neck or the lower back, when you look up in Upward Facing Dog that's exactly what happens. We should visualize lengthening of the spine through the neck with a stable and consistent arch, drawing the chin towards the chest to achieve length in the neck. Legs on or off the ground, that comes down to how it feels to you, legs off the ground will come with time and practice and builds strength in the whole body.
For many years I practiced this posture with the image in mind being a combination of the middle and lower images above, I never understood how to interpret what it felt like because most of the yoga we see is not taught in this way. As a result, the more I practiced the more neck pain and lower back pain I suffered. It wasn't immediately obvious to me that this type of movement was the cause, it's supposed to improve back strength after all. I am the top left image, my chin is drawn towards my chest, but my head is lifted and only drawn back slightly so my neck is long, my shoulder blades are drawn together and I'm contracting my lower abdominals and glutes so that I'm not bending too deep into my lower back.
Don't underestimate the value of good Viniyoga technique development in a yoga practice. Viniyoga is a type of yoga that can make such a difference to the way you practice, significantly improving quality of life, but sadly it's very hard to find in online yoga classes.
Get in touch via my contact page if you have any questions at all, I'm here to help.
Here's my technique workshop for Cobra & Upward Facing dog.
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