Downward Facing Dog

We must do 50 of these every class. Mentally, this is an opportunity to rest and reconnect with your breath. But physically, downward facing dog can be a real challenge. How to do it is easy:

1. From all fours, exhale and lift your knees from the floor, lengthen your spine, and point your butt toward the ceiling.
2. Strengthen your thighs and inner groin and with strong legs reach your heels to the floor.
3. Rotate your upper arms outward, firm your shoulder blades against your back, and pull them down your spine. Push your fingers into the floor.
   
4. Keep your head between your arms and breath.
   

In downward facing, watch that you don’t put too much pressure on your wrists. Move around to find what’s comfortable. Try moving your hands to minimize the angle in your wrists. Push your fingers into the floor. Use the strength in your legs to reduce the work in your arms. Sink into your shoulder blades. If you are having trouble, try practicing with your hands against a wall or on the seat of a chair.

Still doesn’t make sense? Well, a picture is worth a thousand words. Click the link to see how you should rotate your upper arms, pull your shoulder blades in toward the spine and down toward the hips, push your fingers into the floor, lengthen your spine, and point your butt up toward the ceiling. Bring it all together and it really is a resting pose.

Cheers!