Upward Facing Dog Vs. Cobra

Although Upward-Facing Dog and Cobra have a family resemblance to each other, these two backbending yoga poses have different foundations and involve different muscular actions. In Upward-Facing Dog most of your body is suspended in the air between your arms and feet, while in Cobra, your thighs and pelvis remain grounded. However, because both poses are prone backbends, they provide some of the same benefits, such as stretching the abdomen and expanding the chest.

  1. Upward-Facing Dog

    • To practice Upward-Facing Dog, lie on your abdomen. Place your palms on your mat alongside your lower chest. Keep your elbows close your body. Engage your legs and press the tops of your feet into the floor. Lift your knees and thighs away from the floor. Straighten your arms to lift your chest, allowing your spine to arch and your pelvis to hang, suspended in the air between your arms and feet. Keep your shoulders directly above your wrists. Draw your shoulders back and lift your chest through your arms. Press strongly into your mat with your arms to keep your spine lengthening upward.

    Cobra

    • Cobra begins similarly to Upward-Facing Dog, lying on your back. Place your hands under your shoulders. Point your toes and lengthen through your legs. Press the front of your pelvis, or pubic bone, as well as the front of your thighs into your mat. Curl your head and chest away from the floor, keeping your elbows close to the sides of your body. Draw your shoulders back and lift your chest through your arms, elongating your spine.

    Similarities

    • Upward-Facing Dog and Cobra are both backbending poses. Both help stretch the chest, shoulders and abdomen while strengthening the spinal and buttock muscles. Because they open the lungs and ribcage, they can both help improve breathing. As deep backbends, they can both put stress on the spine, making them contraindicated for those with a back injury. To keep your back safe while practicing either Cobra or Upward-Facing Dog, focus on opening your chest and extending through the spine of your ribcage. Avoid bending excessively in your lower back and neck.

    Differences

    • The major difference between Upward-Facing Dog and Cobra is the foundation. In Upward-Facing Dog, your only points of contact with the floor are the palms of your hands and the tops of your feet. The rest of the body is suspended between the feet and shoulders. Strong arms and wrists are critical for practicing Upward-Facing Dog safely. In Cobra, the thighs and pubic bone remain grounded on the mat, putting more focus on the spinal muscles, which actively assist the arms in curling the trunk away from the floor.