Downward Facing Dog

When I was at the Running Room clinic, a comment was made that Downward Facing Dog can be a difficult posture to hold for any length of time, especially for beginning yogis. I have heard this comment before, and experienced the same challenge, so I thought I would take some time to explore it on the blog.

Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukah Svanasana) is one of the foundational postures in yoga and one of the most recognizable. It is part of the Sun Salutation sequence and is a neutral posture that is often used after a strenuous standing sequence or as a transition between postures. It is considered a resting posture and yet can be anything but for some people, especially beginners. 

When I think about Downward Facing Dog I imagine that blissful stretch my dog does first thing in the morning. It is slow and easy. His arms are long, his bum is back and his spine is long. (Sorry for the blurry picture, it’s hard to get my dog to stay still!) This is similar to what we want to accomplish when we do Down Dog in yoga.

Sam in Downward Facing Dog

Down Dog lengthens the spine and the hamstrings, with equal weight on the hands and feet. However, often when people are in this posture they feel fatigue in their wrists and shoulders because they do not have proper alignment. This can be accomplished by creating a foundation for the posture before you lift your knees off the mat. First come into table and find length in your spine, bring your hips over your knees and your wrists just in front of your shoulders. Root down through your finger tips and through the pads where your fingers meet your hands, also connect both sides of your wrists to the mat. Good. Now lift you knees off the mat, draw your heart towards your knees and and send your sit bones up towards the ceiling. Bend your knees and notice if your hands are still rooted onto the mat. Now come up high on your toes and slowly draw each heel toward the mat, alternating feet. Don’t worry about getting your feet flat on the mat. It may happen but it may not which doesn’t necessarily mean you have tight muscles but could just be that you the bones in your feet do not allow them to go all the way down. It’s ok to bend your knees in Down Dog. Remember to breath, draw your shoulder blades down your back and allow your head to relax. 

Remember that this is your practice. Move in the posture and listen to your body. And also remember that it does take practice to get to that place where it feels like a resting posture. If you need a break, bring your knees to the floor, sit back on your heels and relax into child’s pose. 

There are many benefits to doing Downward Facing Dog including stretching your shoulders, hamstrings, calfs and hands. It also energizes your body and helps with fatigue, headaches, insomnia, digestion, so it is well worth the effort to explore the posture and find your inner dog.