Transition | Downward Dog to Urdhva Dhanurasana

Take your backbend to another level by flipping over! Here's how.

Transitioning between Adho Mukha Svanasana and Urdhva Dhanurasana is an excellent exercise because it is a total body movement, mobilizing the shoulders, hips, and spine and increasing coordination. This movement requires flexibility in the shoulderblades and a strong backbend. The trick to this is setting the shoulderblades down the back to allow for the rotation of the arm.

Downard Dog -> Urdhva Dhanurasana

Begin in Downward Dog. Shift the weight over to the right and pick up your left foot. As you begin to reach the left foot around to the other side of the right foot, allow the rotation of the body to lift the left hand up off the floor. Open the chest toward the ceiling as you step the left foot down and spot the floor, placing the left hand down. At some point during the movement, you will have to rotate or replace the right hand because once you get into your backbend, it will be facing backward.

Urdhva Dhanurasana -> Downward Dog

Continuing in the same direction, ground through the left hand, and lift the right hand up off the floor. This time, begin the rotation with the chest. As you reach the right hand toward the floor, allow the rotation of the body to lift the right foot up. Spot the floor as you place the right hand and flip the hips over, placing the right foot down.

Repeat on the other side. Interestingly, you will find differences in the shoulder, hip, and spine making one side often different from the other, so it's important do to the full movement in both directions.