Urdhva means “upward,” pra means “to bring forth,” sa means “with,” and rita translates as “rise upward.” This simple movement of lifting the legs up toward the head and lowering them back to corpse pose should be done with ease and relaxation. The posture can be enjoyed with single leg lifts or as a double leg left, which is a bit more strenuous.

The pose is considered a classic and strengthens the main muscle that passes through the core of your body. This core muscle helps your posture and ability to breath. Iyengar said this posture is excellent for reducing fat around the abdomen, strengthening the lumbar region of the back, and toning the abdominal organs.