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Bird Dog

Elisha in Bird Dog position on all fours, right arm extended forward and left leg extended behind, creating a long straight line from fingertips to heels, core engaged, hips level
Reach long, stay steady, breathe.

Bird Dog is one of the most effective exercises for building core stability and spinal health. From tabletop, you extend the opposite arm and leg simultaneously, challenging your body to resist rotation and stay perfectly balanced. It strengthens the deep core muscles, glutes, and lower back, which protect your spine in everyday movement. It looks simple but requires real focus and control to do well.


How to Practice Bird Dog

  1. Begin on all fours in tabletop with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.

  2. Engage your core gently by drawing your navel slightly toward your spine.

  3. On an inhale, simultaneously extend your right arm forward and your left leg back.

  4. Keep your hips level and don't let them tilt or rotate. This is the most important alignment cue.

  5. Reach through your right fingertips and back through your left heel.

  6. Keep your gaze down to keep your neck neutral.

  7. Hold for 3-5 breaths, then slowly lower and switch sides.


Bird Dog Knee to Nose


Elisha in Bird Dog position on a pink yoga mat, performing the knee-to-nose crunch variation with her spine rounded, right elbow and left knee drawn together under her belly, arms extended forward, demonstrating core engagement.
Draw your elbow and knee together. Feel the crunch. This variation builds serious core strength.

From the extended Bird Dog position, exhale and draw your right elbow and left knee toward each other under your belly. Round your spine slightly and engage the abs deeply as they meet. Then inhale and extend back out long. Repeat 5-8 times per side. This variation adds a dynamic core crunch to the static hold and significantly increases the abdominal challenge.






Modifications

  • Reduce the range: Extend just the leg (no arm) or just the arm (no leg) while you build the balance and core awareness.

  • Slow it down: Move extremely slowly between the extended position and the knee-to-nose position. The slower you go, the more the core works.

  • Hand on a block: Place the extended hand on a block for more proprioceptive feedback and stability.



Bring Your Practice to Life


A large group of yoga students practicing on the grass in Golden Gate Park on a sunny day, with trees and a blue sky in the background

Free Yoga in Golden Gate Park


Every summer I teach free outdoor classes at the Whale's Tail in Golden Gate Park, June through October. Bring your mat, bring a friend, and meet me on the grass.


Elisha seated in meditation on an open-air wooden yoga shala, surrounded by tall wooden posts, with a misty lake and mountain range visible in the background at sunrise

Yoga Retreats Around the World


Ready to go deeper? I lead small-group retreats in some of the most beautiful places on earth. A few days of practice, good food, and real rest can change everything.



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