Cobra vs. Upward Facing Dog

My husband does not practice yoga very often, but he does come to my weekly yoga classes in the park during the summer.  And after he saw my recent blog post about cobra pose, he asked me the difference between cobra and upward facing dog.  I figured if he wanted to know the difference between those two poses, other people probably want to know too!  So, below are some general tips for both poses.

Low Cobra:  Legs extend back with tops of the feet pressing down.  Belly gently draws up away from the floor.  Hands rest under the elbows by the low ribs.  Head and shoulders lengthen forward as they lift with light weight in the hands and elbows bent.

High Cobra:  Legs extend back with tops of the feet pressing down.  Belly gently draws up away from the floor.  Hands rest under the elbows by the low ribs.  Head and shoulders lift with weight in the hands and straight elbows.
 

Up Dog:  Hands rest under shoulders with straight arms.  Belly gently draws up away from the floor.  Legs extend back with tops of the feet pressing down; as the feet press down, knees and hips lift off the mat.  
 

As you practice these poses, notice the different sensations you notice across the chest, through the front of the body, and in your back.  You will notice that each pose does something different and you may want to start to incorporate each one into your practice to get the benefits of each.  Try it and let me know how it goes!