Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)

1. My legs are resting on the ground and my feet are splaying out! When I first started practicing upward facing dog, I had no idea your legs needed to be lifted off the ground and tops of the feet should be pressing into the ground. Additionally, your legs and feet should be facing downward - knees and feet should never be turned out! 

2. My hands and wrists are way too far forward! Wrists should always be directly underneath your shoulders and fingertips should be facing forward! Having a hard time lining it up? Make sure your hands are next to your chest before you press up! This relieves so much back pain and cramping when you place your hands in the correct spot! 

3. I am severely compressing the back of my neck by just dropping my head back and I'm dumping into my lower back! Think length - never compression - in this pose. Your head should be a continuation of your spine, and you should be lifting up and out of the crown of your head before ever considering tilting your head back! Additionally, make sure you press through your chest instead of sinking into your lower back! Think about pulling the mat forward from your chest and making a long spine! This pose is not intended to come from arching your back but from lifting through your chest and head! 

PROP MODIFICATION: BLOCK

 For the modification, try cobra pose. In this pose legs are on the ground and arms are bent! You can also put blocks under your hands to help lift your legs up!