Posture Focus
ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA
Otherwise known as Down Facing Dog, this pose appears several times through most vinyasa flow classes. It is a pose that is both dynamic and restful at the same time, and is therefore used as a transitional pose through standing sequences of salutations. That said, the pose has many benefits in itself and there is something wonderfully refreshing about simply being in this pose and really breathing life into it.
It’s many benefits include the following:
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 prevent osteoporosis
Improves digestion
Relieves headache, insomnia, back pain, and fatigue
Therapeutic for asthma, flat feet, sciatica, sinusitis
Although you will often come into this pose from Upward Dog or a standing posture we will come into this pose from on all fours.
1 On all fours with your hands shoulder width apart, fingers spread wide with the middle finger pointing forward, palm wide and flat. Knees hip width apart.
2 Tuck your toes under and lift your hips up into the air, tilting your tailbone up to the sky.
3 Keep your knees bent until you have lengthened from your palms all the way up to the tailbone. Shoulder blades draw down your back, inner elbows are parallel facing each other. Arms straight and parallel with plenty of space through your wrists. Once you have lengthened this line, ease the thigh bones back, straightening the legs and softening the heel towards the floor.
4 Keep drawing the stomach muscles in to support and lengthen the spine. Draw the knee caps up the thigh towards the groin to help release the hamstrings.
5 keep the head in line with the spine, between your arms. Gaze to the tip of your nose or your navel.
6 Hold for at least 5 breaths unless using as a transitional pose. To come out, bend the knees and lower them to the floor. Push back to rest in Swan, or sweep the arms back for Childs Pose.
Be careful in this pose if you have any wrist complaints, in which case you may like to try folding your mat to raise the palms higher than your fingers which will ensure the weight isn’t stacked on your wrists. Also take several rests throughout and build up gradually but do persevere as it will soon improve. Care should also be taken with high blood pressure or any headaches, you may wish to practice a variation of this by doing it with the hands on a wall so that the upper body is parallel to the floor rather than in an inversion.
Namaste