Breaking Down the Pose - Downward-Facing Dog
Cues, Modifications and Variations on the Asana
Feb 3, 2009
Learn alignment cues and modifications to find new depth in your Down Dog.
Down Dog is a fundamental yoga pose, found in traditions from Iyengar to vinyasa. It lengthens the hamstrings and calf muscles, stretches the spine and builds upper body strength. But while it is common, it also can be complicated to factor in all the different elements of the pose.
Head to Toe
- Start with hands shoulder-width apart, fingers spread into starfish hands.
- Elbows have a microbend so they don’t lock out, and the insides of the elbows face each other.
- Shoulder blades reach down and back toward the tailbone, pulling the shoulders away from the ears.
- Release the head between the shoulders so the neck stays in line with the rest of the spine.
- Lift the hips toward the sky, reaching the tailbone away from the crown of the head. The spine should be long and straight.
- Heels lengthen down toward the mat, where the feet press in hip-width apart. As you build flexibility in the hamstrings, straighten the knees without locking them out.
- In the full pose, you create the point of an arrow with the body, lengthening both spine and legs.
Modifications
- Straightening both the spine and legs can be challenging, so focus on the spine first. That could mean bending the knees to allow the tailbone to lengthen. Over time, the knees can straighten. One way to work into that is to “walk the dog” by pressing one heel to the mat while the other leg bands, alternating legs with each breath.
- When upper body strength is a challenge, take the lower body down on the knees into a Puppy pose. The spine lengthening and strengthening still happens because it allows the upper body to stay aligned.
- If wrists are a challenge, foam wedges under the hands can take some of the pressure off by reducing the angle of the bend. Also, focus on pressing evenly through both hands and both feet. While many other poses allow you to use fists for wrists, the angle of the wrists in Down Dog makes this an unsafe modification.
Variations
- Three-Legged Dog: Lift one leg so the hips stay level and the lifted heel reaches for the back wall. Imagine hands to heel are a diagonal line.
- Puppy:Knees are on the ground
- Dolphin: Although a separate pose, many of the alignment cues are the same as in Down Dog. The biggest difference is that forearms are on the floor, palms pressing flat into the mat and head and shoulders lifted off the floor.
The copyright of the article Breaking Down the Pose - Downward-Facing Dog in Yoga Poses/Asanas is owned by Jennie Coughlin. Permission to republish Breaking Down the Pose - Downward-Facing Dog in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
 |
