Pose Breakdown: Wild Thing
Feel wild and free! Wild Thing Pose (Camatkarasana), sometimes called Flip Dog, is an ecstatic backbend that can add an extra spark to your flow. With its wide-open heart and open hips, Wild Thing can get a little emotional — and combined with its high-energy vibes, it can feel absolutely liberating.
While we’re hearing “flip your dog” more often than ever in guided yoga flows, Wild Thing loves to be spontaneous. Once you get the hang of it, try sneaking it in during Downward-Facing Dog or Side Plank!
Benefits of Wild Thing Pose
Strengthens your upper body
Stretches your upper and lower body
Opens your hip flexors
Boosts your mood and energy
Contraindications
Avoid this pose if you have injuries to your upper body, hips, legs, or shoulders.
Upward-Facing Dog
Cobra
Seal
Bridge
Fish
Pyramid
Side Plank and variations
How to Do Wild Thing Pose
1.
Start in a Side Plank pose, rolling onto the outer edge of your right foot. Place your right hand directly beneath your right shoulder.
2.
Externally rotate your right arm so your elbow faces toward your feet. Reach your left arm up toward the sky.
3.
Lift your upper leg and bend your knee. Place your left foot behind you with your heel lifted.
4.
Rotate your chest upward and press through your right leg, grounding through your big toe. Externally rotate your raised arm with your palm facing backward and reach overhead.
5.
Extend through your side body, lift your hips even more, and engage your glutes.
6.
You can focus your gaze downward, to the side, or up toward the sky.
Follow Up Poses for Eight Angle Pose
Standing Forward Fold/Ragdoll
Supine Twist
Child’s Pose
What Does Camatkarasana Mean?
Wild Thing is a relative newcomer to the yoga lexicon, emerging within the past few decades. Its Sanskrit name, Camatkarasana, matches the vibe: Camatkara can mean “astonishment,” “surprise,” “wonder,” “poetic expression,” or even “riot.”
Check out a more in-depth breakdown of Eight Angle Pose in Dylan Werner’s School of Arm Balance series with Dylan Werner, available for free with a 14-day trial to Alo Moves.
