Upward-facing dog vs. cobra – what’s the difference?!
For those who practice or teach vinyasa yoga or Inside Flow, you will probably do an upward-facing dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) or cobra (Bhujangasana) in every single one of your classes. It’s one of those staples like downward-facing dog that are just part of the package – a lovely opening of the front body after the much-loved *wink* Chaturanga. Which you go for is your bag. Personally, I’m a cobra kind of girl. But as a teacher, I often find myself correcting a mix of both cobra and upward-facing dog in a hybrid that screams compression for the lower back. So, here are some alignment tips to make these backbends less “ouch” and more “mmmm.”
Upward-facing dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) with straight arms, and the pelvis and thighs hovering above the ground.
#1 – Arms!
Upward-facing dog – the arms are straight as the hands press the chest up and away from the mat, bringing the shoulders right above the wrists.
Cobra – the arms are bent, and if you didn’t cheat on your Chaturanga (it’s ok, we all do it sometimes), your elbows should be directly above the wrists – you then isometrically pull the hands back on the mat to open the chest further and externally rotate the upper arms.
Cobra (Bhujangasana) with bent arms, and the pelvis and thighs firmly on the mat.
#2 – Pelvis!
Upward-facing dog – the pelvis and knees hover above the ground as you press the ground away with your hands and the tops of your feet. Make sure you activate the thighs here so that you don’t hang into the lower back but lengthen out of it.
Cobra – the pelvis (i.e., pubic bone) is firmly on the mat. I know there’s the temptation to lift it so that the backbend feels deeper but instead try concentrating on lengthening the spine forward and then up. Your thighs are active here too as you press the little toes into the mat to encourage an inward rotation of the thighs.
#3 – Shoulders!
Upward-facing dog & cobra – pulling the bottom tips of the shoulder blades towards one another (NOT DOWN!) will help to activate the back muscles and open the chest further without creating compression in the lower back. To create maximum space, with the elbows bent, pull the shoulder up towards your ears and then circle them back, pulling the tips of the shoulder blades towards one another.
#4 – Neck!
Upward-facing dog & cobra – I know that throwing your head back and looking at the ceiling gives you the feeling that your backbend is much bigger but let go of that ego and keep the cervical spine long, in extension of the rest of the spine. This is not only better for your cervical spine, but for the breath too. When coming into cobra, for example, I suggest rolling up through the spine to lift the head last, keeping the gaze either slightly down or straight forward.
While we’re at it, here are a few more questions I’m often asked about cobra.
Can I put weight on my hands in cobra? Yes! There is indeed a version where you lift the hands – this is more effective at strengthening the back than opening the chest. Not right or wrong, just different effects.
Should I activate my butt in cobra? It’s pretty difficult to relax the glute muscles completely in cobra, but in my experience, relaxing them as far as possible helps to create more space in the lower back. Clenching your butt cheeks together like you’ve got a diamond in there will probably lead to a feeling of compression around the sacroiliac joint (or the SI joint), which is never much fun.
How wide should I have my legs? Coming from plank/Chaturanga, your feet should be hip-width apart, which is often narrower than you think. To encourage an internal rotation of the thighs (again for more space in the lower back), you can actively press your little toes into the mat.
Which other alignment questions are you always asking yourself? Let me know, and we’ll take a closer look!