Messed-Up Dog: Align your elbows properly!

What’s wrong with these Up Dog postures? All three yoginis above are doing one of yoga’s most recognizable postures in ways that will not only negate the benefits of the pose, but may in fact harm the practitioners.
    “Up Dog”, or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, is a backbend that can be modified for difficulty and incorporated into standing posture practice as well as flowing yoga styles. As such, Up Dog stretches and tones the spine and the front of the body. The chest muscles and upper torso are given the opportunity to open and elongate in ways we aren’t normally able to move in everyday life.
    The heart chakra is unblocked as it is liberated from the tightness of rounded shoulders. As the chest expands and lifts, even the thymus gland gets attention, being stimulated to work harder for the immune system as fresh, unrestricted breath moves through the upper torso.
    All of these movements become possible as the shoulder blades move backward and down. This isn’t a safe transition if the elbows aren’t properly aligned. Look at the models above. Their inner elbows are facing forward, most noticeably in the case of the middle model. You have to watch the rotation of your elbows when you come into a posture that is weight-bearing on the arms.
    Always remember to build every pose from the ground; your foundation is whatever is touching the mat. In the case of Up Dog, start with hands and wrists. Stack your bones up appropriately, always trying to find Mountain Pose. Your shoulders should be aligned evenly over your wrists, and weight should be evenly distributed in the heels and palms of your hands.
    If you have a lot of natural flexibility, you may notice your elbows hyperextending this way. When you turn the insides of your elbows toward your body rather than frontward, you’ll really feel different in postures such as Up Dog. You’ll begin to use your upper arms much differently as you take the stress off your elbows and allow your triceps to do the work!