What's the Difference Between Cobra & Up Dog?

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Cobra and up dog are two asanas that are often confused for one another because they're quite similar on the surface.

Both poses are performed in a prone (belly down) position, both include a backbend (spinal extension), and both involve pressing our arms into the floor.

It's easy to see how they'd be confused for one another, right?

We also sometimes see these two poses blended together into one hybrid pose that contains an element of cobra (say, pelvis on the floor) and an element of up dog (say, straight arms).

Such "blended" poses are neither truly cobra nor up dog.

Does it matter that cobra and up dog are often confused for one another? Is understanding the difference between them important?

I think being clear on the distinction between these two poses is important for both yoga teachers and yoga students – but not for the reason I commonly hear stated!

I typically hear that it's crucial to understand the difference between these asanas because if we don't, we can end up practicing a hybrid version of them that could lead to injury.

From my movement science-based perspective, though, I don't buy into such claims. The human body is resilient and can adapt to a wide variety of loads and alignments. It's not the case that cobra and up dog are the only safe options, and that a blend of the two is inherently unsafe.

But like I said, I do think being clear on the distinction between these asanas is important! And that's because even though the two poses have some overlap, they're actually quite different biomechanically.

When we understand these biomechanical differences, we can choose which asana we teach or practice in any given moment based on which biomechanical effects we're after.

What are the biomechanical differences between cobra and up dog?

I fully explain the alignment and biomechanics considerations for these two poses – plus a bonus third pose(!) – in my brand-new YouTube video.

Both yoga students and yoga teachers can benefit from this quick pose breakdown. I hope you enjoy!