Down Facing Dog 

Downward facing Dog is one of the core practices in any yoga class, which is why I’d like to take a look at it in detail this week. You will come across this posture in almost any practice, class or DVD as a posture in its own right but also as part of a flow or transition, so it helps to be able to do it correctly.

Down Facing Dog is fantastic for keeping the spine aligned and helping to reduce hunched and tension filled shoulders.

My chiropractor once told me that if there was one posture he would recommend as a daily practice this would be it and in my practice it really is one of my favourite poses that I return to time and time again.

Here’s how not to do down dog

and here are the steps to find you way into this posture correctly:

- Come down to your mat in hands and knees. Knees are below the hips and hands are slightly in front of the shoulders. Be sure palms are wide and fingers spread to create a solid base.

- Turn the toes under, inhale and raise the knees off the floor. Keep the knees bent, lift the buttocks up high and reach the chest towards the thighs, creating a straight line from finger tips to hips. 

- Inhale up to tip toes trying to keep the front of the body as still as possible.

- Exhale the right heel down towards the floor and bend the left knee (stretching the back of the right leg.

- Inhale back up to tip toes.

- Exhale left heel down and right knee bent.

- Repeat 6 times or until the backs of the legs feel a little looser.

- Inhale up to tip toes and this time exhale both heels down towards the floor into your full dog posture.

- Make sure the legs and spine are both active. Firm the shoulder blades against the back and take the weight out of the wrists and firm the arms all the way into the upper back.

- Keep the head between the upper arms in your full down facing dog.

- To come out, bend the knees to the floor and then come to sitting on your heels. 

Posture - Downward Facing Dog       
Sanskrit name - Ardho Mukha Svanasana

Benefits 

*Calms and relieves stress
*Stimulates the kidneys
*Lengthens hamstrings and calves
*Strengthens thighs
*Improves digestion
*Relieves headache and insomnia

Avoid if: You have carpal tunnel syndrome, high blood pressure or headache.

Beginners Tip: Practice standing with the hands at shoulder height against the wall, walk the feet back with the arms and back straight and drop the upper body down through between the arms, stretching the shoulders.

Beginners Tip 

Enjoy this practice everyday if possible. A quick stretch and re-allignment in Down Facing Dog at the end of a long day can work wonders!

Serena is a yoga teacher and the founder of The OM Space . She is a passionate believer in yoga as a life enhancing practice and runs several classes in Colombo including the very popular Yoga for Children and Yoga for Pregnancy. Serena trained in the UK with the British Wheel of Yoga and is a UK Yoga Alliance registered Senior Teacher.