Downward Facing Dog

Step By Step

1. Come onto the floor on your hands and knees.
2. Set up proper alignment; knees under hips, hands under shoulders and slightly wider than shoulders width, wrist creases parallel, fingers spread and claw into mat.
3. Inhale and squeeze arms together, firm shoulder blades against back, tuck toes and allow hips to rise. Pressing the earth away from you.
4. Heals stretch to or onto the floor.
5. Head stays between the arms not dangling free.
6. The heart is reaching for the thighs.

Benefits

• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression.
• Energizes the body.
• Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches and hands.
• Strengthens the arms and legs.
• Helps relieve symptoms of menopause.
• Helps prevent osteoporosis.
• Improves digestion.
• Relieves headache, insomnia, back pain and fatigue.
• Therapeutic for high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet, sciatica, sinusitis.

Contraindications

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
• Diarrhea.
• Pregnancy: Do not do this pose late-term.
• High blood pressure or headache: Support your head on a bolster or block, ears level between arms.

Common Misalignments

• Foundation: Hands turned in, fingertips up, metacarpals lifted.
• Foundation: Feet too wide, turned in, rolled out.
• Foundation: Too short of a stance.
• Straight knees but round back.
• Inner spiral upper arms, resulting in bent elbows, shoulders at ears, and scapula off back.