Pose of the Month

Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Savasana)

Rare is the yoga class that doesn’t include at least one Downward Facing Dog pose. That may be because the benefits of the pose could fill this entire page. Downward Dog strengthens the arms and legs while stretching the hamstrings and calves, the arches of the feet and the hands. It calms the brain while relieving stress and mild depression. It can also help prevent osteoporosis and reduce symptoms of menopause while it leaves your body feeling energized.

Start on your hands and knees. Align your hips right above your knees and place your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. Spread your fingers wide, with the longest finger straight forward. Turn your toes under and draw your low belly towards your spine. Lift the knees a few inches off of the mat and keep them bent as you exhale and reach your hips back behind you.

Keep your spine long as you press your thighs back and your heels towards the floor. If you find your back has rounded or you’ve shifted forward onto your hands, then keep the knees bent. Attempt to stretch the mat longer in front of you with your hands by pressing through the mounds of the index fingers and mounds of the thumbs. Relax the head and neck so the ears are between your arms and you are looking back towards your feet. Feel your shoulder blades broad and wide on the back. Use the pit of the abdomen to continue drawing the hips behind you and bring as much weight into your feet as you have in your hands. Stay for several breaths, gradually working up to 1-3 minutes. Come out of it by releasing the knees back down to the floor and resting there.

If you have carpal tunnel syndrome or trouble opening through the shoulders you may want to place your hands on the seat of a firm chair rather than the floor.

If downward dog felt challenging; reassure yourself that this is a pose you will continue to fine tune for as long as you practice yoga. Ultimately, the physical benefits are secondary to the ability of this pose to increase your own self awareness. You discover where in the body you feel light and where you feel dense; where you move easily and where you feel stuck. When you practice with a gentle compassion for your self, and not try to attain some outward goal of the perfect pose, you can play at the limits of your strength and flexibility with a sense of curiosity and joy. When you do that in Downward Dog, regardless of how it looks from the outside, you have achieved the ideal pose.