How to Perform Urdhva Hastasana for Strength, Flexibility, and Posture

Urdhva Hastasana at a Glance

How to Do Urdhva Hastasana?
Follow the Step-By-Step Procedure

This raised arms pose looks simple but is a good foundation pose for all standing asanas and inversions in yoga.

• Standing straight and keeping your feet together. Keep Your arms relaxed to your sides, and your shoulders should be down. Stand in the mountain pose.
• Pregnant women and senior citizens can keep a gap between the legs for better comfort.
• Spread your toes properly, keep your feet grounded, and balance your body weight on the feet equally.
• Take a deep breath and slowly lift your arms over your head. The hand should align with the shoulders, and your palms should face each other; interlock your fingers or bring your palms together. Gaze straight or slightly upward.
• Keep your arms straight up from your shoulders. Your head, shoulders, neck, hip legs, and ankles should be in one line and no tension in your body.
• If straightening the raised arms is difficult, practice with a shoulder-width loop around your upper arms, just above the elbows.
• Tuck your navel towards the spine. Stretch your entire body upward as you pull your head towards the ceiling. See that your arms and fingers are straight.
• This is the final position for Urdhva Hastasana. If comfortable, you can close your eyes and gently breathe in and out. When you breathe out, release all the stress and tension and relax every body part.
• Stay in this final position for a few breaths, and when you release, exhale slowly, bring your arms down, and relax.

What are the Benefits of the Urdhva Hastasana?

• Urdhva Hastasana pose improves posture, strengthens the legs, and stretches your shoulders and the entire front torso.
• It also strengthens your triceps, back muscles, buttocks, and hamstrings.
• It tones your abdomen and your hips.
• It strengthens your spine, which helps to improve your balance and posture.
• Practicing mindfully helps you to connect with your inner consciousness and increases your mental awareness.
• The upward salute pose stretches the front of your body and shoulders, relaxes the mind, and improves digestion.
• Due to the full body stretch, all body organs receive a good blood flow. This enhances the functioning of the organs.
• This pose upward salute needs you to concentrate on the body, increasing your focus level.
• The entire stretch in the body helps to open the energy chakras in the body, so it helps to relax and remove the stress from your whole body.

Health Conditions that Might Benefit from Urdhva Hastasana

• Practicing Urdhva Hastasana can help you with mild back pain.
• People with poor posture can Practice Urdhva Hastasana by maintaining the proper alignment, which can help to improve and maintain the body posture.
• If you have slight balance issues, regular Urdhva Hastasana practice can help improve your flexibility, balance, and stability.
• This pose needs deep breathing, and this helps to improve your lung capacity and can help people with mild respiratory issues.
• People with cognitive functioning skills can practice this asana to improve their cognitive level.
• People suffering from mild stress and anxiety can practice this pose to reduce and experience calmness.

Safety and Precautions

• If you suffer from a shoulder or neck injury, avoiding the pose is better.
• If you feel dizzy while doing this pose, lower your arms.
• Doing this pose with headaches and migraines will worsen the condition, so avoid it.
• Keep your feet a bit wider (feet hip distance) within your comfort during pregnancy.
• If you have high blood pressure or vertigo, consult your healthcare professional and do it under the guidance of a trained yoga teacher.

Common Mistakes

• Try not to lock your knees or elbows.
• Keep your shoulders in the neutral position and not near your ears.
• Don’t keep your arms wide.
• Avoid arching your back.
• Breathe deeply and engage your core.

Tips for Urdhva Hastasana

• Warm-up is important.
• Keep your feet together.
• Be mindful of the alignment.
• For a deeper stretch to the upper body interlock your thumbs when your arms are up.
• Use props if needed.
• Keep breathing to enhance the benefits of the pose.
• Gaze upwards or in front.
• Keep a micro bend in your elbows and knees.

The Physical Alignment Principles for Urdhva Hastasana

• Keep feet together while standing.
• Spine straight and extended (Root down through your sit bones and reach the crown of your head toward the ceiling, lengthening your spine).
• Relax your shoulder blades down your back, towards your waist.
• Your arms overhead (arms parallel) in line with the ears and palms facing each other or interlocking the fingers.
• Distribute the weight evenly in your feet.
• Don’t shrug your shoulders.
• Your head and neck should be in line with the spine, and your hips and legs, in line with the spine.
• Deep breathing is important to maintain alignment with the core management.

Breath and Urdhva Hastasana

This may seem to be very simple and easy, but breath plays a very important role in maintaining the posture and to reap the benefits.

Before getting into the pose, inhale and exhale to get set for the pose. As you raise your arms, breathe deeply and inhale in the pose to exhale to get the flow of energy to the entire body and release the stress and tension through exhaling. While you exit the pose, exhale deeply, let go of all the tensions, relax, and return to the Tadasana pose.

Urdhva Hastasana and Variations

• Palm tree pose and bending on the sides with your hands up.
• Interlocking your fingers in the Urdhva Hatsasana position.
• Urdhva Hatsasana with the support of the Chair.
• Keep your eyes closed in the final position.
• Keep your hands in the prayer position to your heart.

The Bottom Line

Urdhva Hastasana or Upward Salute is a simple yoga stretch that benefits the whole body. It will improve body posture by coordinating breath and core. This pose can be modified according to each individual’s physical limitations so it’s for everyone. It will increase focus and concentration, balance and stability and release stress and anxiety and leave you calm and centered.

To practice Urdhva Hastasana and other basic poses join our 100-Hour Hatha Yoga TTC. This course covers the fundamental poses of Hatha Yoga and will give you in-depth instruction on alignment, techniques and benefits of various asanas. It’s a great starting point for anyone who wants to deepen their practice and understanding of yoga.

For a more in-depth study join our 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training which will cover yoga philosophy, anatomy and teaching methodology. This course is perfect for those who want to become certified yoga instructors and share the power of yoga with others. Both courses are certified by Yoga Alliance, USA so you will get the best education and support in your yoga journey.

Join now and inspire others on their journey to wellness!