In my opinion, downward facing dog competes with Tree pose as the most iconic yoga pose... ever. Down dog is often the first pose people think of when they consider yoga, and for good reason, it is also one of the most commonly practiced poses, especially in vinyasa and ashtanga based classes. Despite its popularity, rarely is downward facing dog a focus- many practitioners of yoga don’t know how to best achieve the pose in a safe, comfortable, and effective way. You might also be unaware of down dog’s various benefits, benefits that might just change the way you look at your yoga practice. So let’s dive in.
Downward Facing Dog
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Achieving the pose: This pose represents an upside-down letter V on your mat. Begin by planting your hands near the top of the mat and step your feet back towards the back of the mat at your hips’ width distance. Form a rectangle between your two hands and feet. Exhale, contract the core and lift your hips up and back to make the shape of a mountain. Push your heels down toward the mat to feel a stretch in your calves, even if they don’t touch the ground. Bend your knees as much as feels comfortable and envision the tip of your tailbone rolling up towards the sky. Find a long, straight line starting at your fingers, extending through your arms, your shoulders, and your spine, all the way to this tailbone point. Energetically push through the four corners of your palms as well as the pads of your fingers. Flatten the shoulder blades down the back. Breathe.
Things to consider: For some, down dog is a relaxing pose. For others, especially those who are new practitioners, it is a laborious pose that requires great strength. No matter your level of practice, remember that everyone’s anatomy is different, so everyone’s downward facing dog will look different, And that is good! You are encouraged to explore and experiment in this pose. Your heels may plug deep into the ground. What does it feel like if you lift them? Your Achilles tendon, hamstring, or calf may prevent your heels from coming close to the ground. Have you tried pushing weight down through your heels anyway? Try pedaling the feet up and down, back and forth. Circle the hips. Round the spine. Explore the sensation of widening your stance, and then making it more narrow. What does it feel like if your knees are more bent? Less bent? If your hands are further from your feet? Closer? Notice your gaze. Try looking between the hands, or at the toes, or even at the navel. Find the iteration of the pose that feels best in your body at this moment, remembering that this may change and that you should honor your body and your experiences.
Physical benefits:
- Unlike some yoga poses that are purely strength based or solely based on flexibility, downward facing dog is one that does double duty.
-Strength: Down dog is especially strengthening for the upper body, in the hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, and back.
-Flexibility: This pose is intended to stretch the entire backside of the body, from the back, to the hamstrings, to the calves.
- Downward facing dog is an inversion pose, meaning the heart is above the head. This position encourages blood flow which can energize the yogi, as well as calm the body. This increased blood circulation is beneficial for the inner body and organs, and can soothe bloating and constipation among other ailments. The inversion also opens the sinuses.
- Improved breath is another benefit of down dog due in part to its upside-down nature and the opened sinuses. It is also true that extended yogic breathing is accessible in this pose because the lungs are expanded. This deepened respiration is calming and invigorating.
- Due to the elongated cervical spine, downward dog can headaches and tension in the neck.
- Downward facing dog opens the chest and expands the front of the body, which is beneficial for our posture. The position our upper body takes is oppositional to posture many people have when they sit at their computers. Therefore, down dog can relieve neck and back pain associated with this poor posture, as well as encourage people to practice better posture.
- This pose strengthens not only our muscles, but our bones. The strengthening of the upper body through engagement of rotator cuff and the weight in the shoulders builds bone density. Increased bone density helps prevent and manage osteoporosis.
So what are you waiting for? Take time to experiment with your downward facing dog and breathe in the many benefits that accompany it. This is the essence of healing through movement.