Teach Upward Facing Dog To Improve Spine Health
Trish Corley 
You can confidently teach upward facing dog AND leave your students in a safe, healing, and empowering experience!
Upward Facing Dog Can Improve Spine Health - If You Know How to Teach It Effectively
“Don’t teach upward facing dog. It’s bad for your back. Your students could get hurt. It’s too advanced.”
Have you heard yoga teachers say these things about upward facing dog or any other posture? Maybe you have said something like this out of good intention? I get it. No one wants to cause harm. But is your concern for causing harm getting in the way of your teaching? I am all for safe practices and injury prevention AND growth and expansion. In order for a spine (as well as the entire body) to be healthy, it needs to move. We know through research that restricting movement generally leads to further pain and disability. So we need to encourage movement and avoid excessive strain. This is when I hear the voice of so many yoga teachers: "But how do I know how to find that balance for my students?" Overwhelm sets in and it is easier to avoid teaching upward facing dog than to try to figure it all out.
You can confidently teach upward facing dog AND leave your students in a safe, healing, and empowering experience!
I am not saying that you need to teach upward facing dog or that it is the best posture for every student. What I am saying is: Don’t avoid upward facing dog because another teacher told you to. Or worse, because of your own fears. It’s actually great if you have questions and put up some concern regarding what and how you teach. The best teachers continuously question what they are teaching in order to learn more and teach authentically. This is different than teaching from doubt.
Question your own teaching from curiosity and excitement rather than fear and concern!
When it comes to practicing and teaching yoga postures, it is not one size fits all. It seems most yoga teacher agree on this, yet there are still many that avoid teaching (and sometimes practicing) certain postures. Ruling out a posture from your practice or teaching creates a limitation. In essence, it tells your body and your students’ bodies that there is a threat when they get on their yoga mat.
What happens if you're too cautious?
When a yoga teacher says “avoid posture X because it will “hurt your back” or “compress your spine”, they set their students up to listen for what is going to hurt or cause harm. This is like traveling down the curvy mountain covered in caution signs. Of course those signs serve a purpose to keep us safe. But when that is all I see on the road, I put my foot on the brakes, slow down, and drive with caution as my priority. All that caution leaves me concerned. My grip tightens and my shoulders elevate. I feel tense. I don’t get to enjoy the view or explore the space.
There is a framework to teach upward facing dog (or any yoga posture) so that you and your students experience empowerment and possibility rather than threat and fear. Lead them down a road with so much clarity that they not only trust you, but also feel safe and excited to practice yoga to improve their health.
Get your students to listen for what feels good and works. It's possible with the Yoga Anatomy School!
Even with my experience as a physical therapist and anatomy professor, when I first started teaching, I was so concerned about saying the right thing. I was worried about making students confused. I even wondered if what I said was harming them. As a physical therapist, I was used to working with people with pain and injuries. I realized that if I could teach my patients to move safely, I could also teach yoga students to move safely. I got to work honing my cues and developing strategies to teach effectively. And now I get to share this with yoga teachers like you!
The yoga teachers in the membership community of Yoga Anatomy School develop a clear understanding of human anatomy, utilize optimal postural alignment to teach any pose safely and effectively, and master their cuing and communication so they can deliver high impact yoga classes.
Learn How You Can Teach Upward Facing Dog Effectively!
Upward facing dog is one of the more commonly misunderstood yoga postures, and one that can actually improve spine health. The 3 Step Guide to Teaching Upward Facing Dog is for yoga teachers who want to better understand anatomy, and better serve their students.
This guide is based on the framework used in the Yoga Anatomy School Membership and it is completely FREE!
Grab yours and learn what it takes to gain knowledge and confidence and teach your students in an empowering, safe, and healthy way! The health of their spine is at stake and you have what it takes to help them.
Categories: : Effective Teaching Techniques, Posture Alignment, Yoga Anatomy
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