Downward Dog to Upward Dog

The vinyasa transition: the body travels from downward dog forward into upward dog and back, alternating between a shoulder-loaded inverted V and an open-chested backbend.

How to do it

1. Start in downward dog with the hips high and the hands shoulder-width apart.
2. Shift forward through plank and lower slightly, then press the chest through into upward dog with the thighs off the floor.
3. Draw the shoulders back and down and keep the neck long.
4. Tuck the toes, press the floor away and lift the hips back into downward dog.
5. Continue moving between the two positions for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips

• Move the hips, not the hands; the palms stay planted the whole set.
• Press the tops of the feet down in upward dog so the thighs actually lift.
• Slow down through the middle of the transition rather than swinging between the ends.

Muscles

Primary: Front deltoid, Erector spinae

Secondary: Chest, Serratus, Triceps