Adho Mukha Svanasana
Downward Facing Dog has many functions. It is a transitional pose, a resting pose, an inversion pose, and it stretches and strengthens the entire body.
Benefits:
- Calms the brain and helps relieve stress, headaches and mild depression
- Strengthens hands, wrists, arms and legs
- Stretches the shoulders, low-back, hamstrings, calves and Achilles tendon
- Strengthens the entire back and shoulder girdle
- Increases circulation and energizes the body
- Therapeutic for high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet, sciatica, sinusitis
Instructions:
- From Upward Facing Dog, turn your toes under and on an exhale breath; lift your hips up and back, straightening your legs into Downward Facing Dog pose.
Beginner’s Tip: Come onto your hands and knees in a tabletop position first. Set your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. Turn your toes under and lift your hips up and back straightening your legs.
Modification: If you have tight hamstrings, it’s perfectly fine to bend your knees and it is okay to be up on the balls of your feet if your heels don’t touch the floor.
- Check that the distance between your hands and your feet. Hands should be shoulder width apart, wrist line parallel to the front edge of your mat. Feet should be hip distance apart, heels directly behind your toes.
- Spread your fingers wide, index fingers pointing forward. Your hands may angle out slightly. Press the bases of the index fingers actively into the floor to avoid excess strain on your wrist joint. You’ll be pressing firmly through your fingertips, knuckles and the ridge of your hand (the base of the fingers where they attach to the palm). Keep a micro bend in your elbows and rotate them slightly inward.
- Lengthen your tailbone away from your shoulders, widen your shoulder blades and draw them down your back toward the tailbone. Allow your head to relax.
- Engage your quadricep muscles and pull abdominal muscles in.
- Balance your weight equally between your upper and lower body. Continuously press the floor away engaging the shoulders and upper body and continuously lift your hips up and back elongating the spine. From a side view, you will resemble an upside down letter “V” (see photo).
Off the Mat: Most people – from office workers to drivers, teachers and moms – are in a constant forward bend all day and will benefit immensely by stretching and lengthening the back, shoulders and front body.
For the athlete: This pose is a gentle way for athletes to open the hamstrings for quickness and speed, stretch shoulders, and keep wrists strong and supple. Keeping the lower back open and strong, complimenting a strong core is important for agility. Finally, the pose helps to stretch toes, calves and arches, and feet – and having flexible feet translates directly to speed in any sport that involves running.
For the skin: Hema Sundaram, MD, a Washington DC-area dermatologist, proposes that moves “like Child’s Pose, Downward-Facing Dog, and Sun Salutations improve circulation—the boost of oxygen is what gives skin that lovely yoga glow.” Another reason to take to the mat: New research finds regular yoga practice may reduce the inflammation and stress that speed skin aging.
