All experienced teachers have an internal list of things they say regularly in classes that they believe are worth repeating, even if the regulars eventually can finish the sentence themselves 😜. I find myself swimming to this line -- “Urdhva Hastasana is you at your most human” -- every time I teach Upward Salute, which is nearly every class.  I find it such an elegant expression of our existence as bipeds. A literal extension of Mountain Pose -- your arms are extended skyward -- it takes our standing posture to the next level. It also is upside-down handstand 🆒!

Upward Salute takes all the benefits of Mountain Pose and adds more strengthening to the upper back, more intelligence to the already super-smart shoulder blades, and an even deeper breath as it stretches the trunk and especially the side ribs which contain the lungs.

I teach this pose in corporate settings, too, because it’s as much a confidence builder as it is a stabilizer AND mood lifter. I like to joke that this can be your afternoon coffee or the sweet you like to succor. Try it at 2:30 pm in the office or right before a meeting and see for yourself! The effects are real and they last long enough to get you through 🍬☕️.