Up Dog / Adho Svanasana

Jason Schramm of Detroit Yoga demonstrating Upward Facing Dog Pose Adho Mukha Svanasana.

Once, about 15 years ago, someone came up to me after class and asked why I hadn’t put any back bends in class. She was referring to more intense backbends like Upward Bow, which at the time I did not put into an introductory/beginner class.

Anyway, I said to her, “what about the 50 plus up dogs that you just did?”  I received a look that seemed like she did not appreciate my "check mate".

Up Dog is a fantastic back bending posture, and is one of the most frequently practiced postures in Ashtanga Vinyasa class at Detroit Yoga.  Having a polished Upward Facing Dog Pose is a prerequisite for deeper back bend and it seems is ofter overlooked in the rush to get to the more "advanced" postures.

Let's be careful though, not to put the cart before the horse.  Practice patience, and make sure that we are bettering our basics first.

Even though this is a fundamental/basic posture there are quite a few details that are ofter overlooked.  Below are some.

• Make sure that your feet are not too far away from your hands beginning first in Plank.
• And then lowering from plank to Chaturanga the chest is out in front of the hands.
• Which then set up the hands to be directly under the shoulder in Up Dog.

For more details come on in to class!

See you soon.

​Jason

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