Adho Mukha Svanasana : Downward Facing Dog
It begins by kneeling with the hands and knees on the floor, hands under the shoulders, fingers spread wide, knees under the hips, knees about seven inches apart, spine straight and relaxed.On a deep exhale, the hips are pushed toward the ceiling, the body forming an inverted V-shape. Legs are straight. Arms are straight, elbows engaged, shoulders wide and relaxed. The heels move toward the floor. Hands and feet remain hip-width apart. If the hamstrings are very strong or tight, the knees should be bent to allow the spine to lengthen fully.
Pressure is avoided on the wrists by pressing into the fingers and palms, directing the push upward into the hips. The head drops naturally. The heart moves toward the back wall.
The hips move up and back. Relying on the breath while holding the posture, the student takes deep, steady inhales and exhales that create a flow of energy through the body. Concentration on maintaining a slow, rhythmic, sustaining breath is most important. On an exhale, the student releases onto the hands and knees and rests.
Posture Points
- Keep shoulder blades wide on the back, and drawing towards kidneys.
- Avoid collapsing in the stomach by drawing the navel-point inward.
- Avoid chest collapse by rotating outsides of armpits slightly wider and down towards the floor.
- If spine rounds push tops of thighs back and lengthen inside of spine behind stomach.
- Draw shoulder blades and knees towards tailbone.
- Tops of thighs spin inward; Preserve arches by drawing them up as heels sink low.
- Triceps and biceps hug the arm bone. Inner elbows shine towards each other.
- Roots of all fingers press into the floor, especially space between thumb and pointer.
Did you Know?
Downward-facing dog is an ancient posture depicted in Egyptian Art that is thousands of years old. It teaches us on a cellular level how everything is connected; how our heels are linked to our shoulders, how fingers influence heart, how our elbow placement effects the spine.
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