Basic Pose Breakdown: Downward Facing Dog

Basic Pose Breakdown 

            Downward Facing Dog = Adho Mukha Svanasana

Down Dog is my best friend. I could stay in it for 10 minutes, just breathing and meditating, but it wasn't always so friendly to me! When I began practicing yoga, my hamstrings were so tight, I couldn't touch my toes, so the full pose was painful. The idea of getting my heels to the ground seemed absolutely impossible. And quite frankly, the first few yoga classes I went to, I just didn't "get" Down Dog. But I'll never forget the first time I eased into Down Dog and thought, "Oh... THAT'S what it's supposed to feel like." Something finally clicked, and it didn't really take that much longer for me to absolutely adore the pose. Four years later, I still love it! I hope you learn to enjoy it as much as I do.

   

Origins

If you have a dog, then you definitely know where this pose got its name. Dogs stretch by moving from "Downward Facing Dog" to "Upward Facing Dog."

Benefits

• Stretches feet, ankles, calves, hamstrings, spine, shoulders, wrists, hands, and neck.
• Strengthens upper back, arms and legs.
• Calms the mind and relieves stress.

 

Anatomy

           

How to do the pose

1. Begin on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders (or a few inches forward) and your knees under your hips. 

       

2. With your feet hip distance apart, tuck your toes under and lift the hips up and back.

                        

Do: 

• Press firmly into the hands, paying special attention to pushing down through the bases of your fingers.
• Feel free to keep a gentle bend in the knees if your hamstrings are tight.
• Lift the tailbone up and press the heels down.
• Press the chest back towards the knees, to open the shoulders.
• Externally rotate your shoulders. (Biceps spin toward the ceiling, triceps spin under.)
• Pull up through your abdominals
• Gaze towards your feet, keeping the ears in line with the arms.

Don’t:

• Lock your knees or elbows completely.
• Feel pressure to get your heels to the floor, or get your legs straight!

Variations

• I LOVE the feeling of pedaling out my feet, especially in my first Down Dog of the day. Do this by bending one knee at a time. You can hold each one for as long or short as you like.

• "Three-legged Dog" is lifting one leg up into the air. 

• You can also twist in Down Dog to reach back to the opposite leg. It's a great stretch!         

  

Modifications

• Tight hamstrings or pain in your lower back? No problem! Bend your knees.

                      

• Discomfort in your wrists? Roll up your mat to pad the heels of the hands.

                       

• Just hate Down Dog no matter what you do? Try Down Dog with a chair or against a wall. You'll get all the same stretches, and maybe you can build up to the full pose over time.