
Downward Facing Dog / Adho Mukha Svanasana
You may hear some yoga teachers refer to downward facing dog as a rest pose. And for some it can be, but if you're like me and you're 'resting' in downward dog with sweat dripping down your face, limbs burning and shoulders protesting not to worry. Here is a breakdown of how to do downward facing dog, including different options to help suit you.
The purpose: To understand downward facing dog, and even enjoy it, it's important to understand what exactly the pose is doing for your body. Downward facing dog (DD) is a strength building pose that simultaneously stretches two major parts of the body. The backs of the legs and the back muscles. I would consider DD to be a whole body strengthener. Not only are we demanding stability and weight baring from the shoulders and arms, but engagement of the core for balance. Depending on the bend in the knees will determine how much we engage the thighs to help keep the pose's shape. This pose has a lot of different and complicated things going on in all directions. It's no wonder it can be a real effort to maintain.
The Pose: DD is an inversion as well as a balance, using all four limbs and the body to form a triangle shape. The fingers and toes point forward and ground down into the mat. There's a soft bend in the knees with the hips are up high to the sky. The crown of the head is relaxed down towards the mat. The gaze is to the thighs or back behind the legs. Shoulders are away from ears and the neck is relaxed. This is the basic pose for downward facing dog.
The Details: To make this pose more enjoyable the devil really is in the details. Acts like clawing through the fingertips, bending the knees and remembering to breath all really do help. To claw through the fingertips and bring the pressure into the fingertips and away from the wrists by pressing the fingertips down into the mat - literally like you're clawing at it. Press the front part of the hand down as well to help relieve pressure and grip the yoga mat. This will take pressure off the wrists saving you from further wrist pain. By taking a soft bend in the knees we're putting less pressure on the hamstrings (the back of the legs) and helping to bring the belly further towards the thighs - thereby increasing the stretch along the back muscles. This in turn will also help ground the heels down towards the mat. It's a common misconception that the heels need to be all the way down on the floor as this is simply not true. The act of sending the heels towards the floor is more than enough but if you wish to have contact with something to further the feeling of grounding place a folded blanket or pillow under the heels. Remembering to breath is very much easier said than done. Especially in poses we find challenging and especially at the start of a yoga journey. But when we find ourselves in DD and we've gone through the checklist of alignment and technique cues now is the time to take a big inhale through the nose and out through the mouth. Notice how it feels to breath in this position and notice any ease within the pose that comes from the breath.
The Refinements: Okay so we've got the shape of the pose, we've employed the extra techniques to make it more comfortable, what now? Now is observing the body and seeing how we hold tension in this pose and if we can work to let that go. Now is a great time to observe any habits that have wormed their way into the pose and see if we can let those go if they don't serve us or the pose. Perhaps you bend the elbows out to the side for more stability. Here I would encourage you to hug the elbows back into the midline and bring the inner elbow creases to shine forward towards the tips of the fingers. This will create a more passive hold in the upper body allowing you to enjoy the pose for longer. This is just one example, as you take this pose observe where the body is in space and if there is a particular amount of tension potentially being caused by misalignment. Here is where working under the guidance of a qualified yoga teacher is incredibly beneficial.
The Options: This pose isn't accessible for everyone. This doesn't mean you can't enjoy a variation and still maintain a DD practice. From using blocks to support the heels, folded blankets to support the wrists or taking a slightly different pose there are plenty of options for everyone. As mentioned earlier a folded blanket/mat or yoga block under the heels can help you ground down into the earth. The same props under the wrist can help relieve pressure off the wrists as well. For problematic wrist pain you can rest on the forearms and elbows instead of the hands and take Dolphin pose (ardha pincha mayurasana). The same clawing fingertips principle still applies here, ensuring to distribute the weight more evenly through the whole lower arm. To take dolphin pose the same principles as DD apply but simply bring yourself to rest on the elbows - forearms and hands pressing down flat into the floor. Elbows are shoulder distance apart and hands point forward or slightly in towards one another. There are plenty of other options for DD and a good yoga teacher will be able to talk you through them and find one that works for you.
Remember every body is different and each has different capabilities - even from day to day. Taking rest when you need it and listening to your body is far more important than perfecting any pose.
For online 1-2-1's where perhaps you'd like to focus on downward facing dog or another pose book below or contact me to discuss yoga lessons and services.
By Laura Carey
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