Self Love Sunday: Down Dog
Downward Facing Dog
aka Adho Muhka Svanasana
is a great base pose:
So meaning, Its multi-purpose nature makes it great for serving as a starting, transitional, resting and strengthening pose.
***although I don’t always recommend starting in this pose, as it can be pretty intense for the shoulders and hamstrings if they’re not warmed up***
Yes, this may seem like the most basic pose in yoga but it’s really all about being mindful and building a proper foundation for each one of these poses to really allow the Yoga practice to come together effortlessly.
Yoga is truly all about this foundation of Sthira (strength,effort) and Suhka (ease)
SO
How does one do this asana (pose) properly?
one of the ways I recommend getting into Downdog is starting on your hands and knees, table top pose. (Shoulders stacked over wrists, hips stacked of knees, and fingers tips spread out and slightly turned about 45 degrees )
Inhale, drop belly to the ground
Exhale push your belly to your thighs and then pull tailbone up to the sky and straighten legs.
**the goal isnt to get your heels to the ground, its to have a beautiful length in the spine**
MODIFICATIONS: generous bend in the knees, push chest towards thighs, and tailbone pulls up. If this is still too intense a forward fold with a bend in the knees works just as well for an alternative to this inversion
Gaze will be looking either towards your belly or past your knees
Rotate your shoulders away from your ears and you should feel more of the stretch underneath the armpits/ lats.
The rotation of your shoulders allows less pressure on your wrists as well.
Think about suction cupping your palm, so the weight is more in the fingertips and base of the palms.
And CONGRATULATIONS, you have a good foundation for this base pose.
The goal is to make this posture work comfortably for your body instead of pushing it into an ideal pre pictured pose.
***gentle reminder, everyones bodies are different, so everyone practice looks different**
BENEFITS:
Physically, this pose deeply stimulates the hands, wrists, shoulders, spine, hamstrings, ankles, and arches.
Mentally, this posture strengthens our energetic levels because it is an inversion.
Inversions are fancy way of saying your heart is above your head.
— which just means its a good detox for our head because it stimulates a healthy blood flow and oxygen flow throughout our head and the rest of the body, so in return inversions allow a state of relaxation and relief to parts of us that may feel depressed or anxious.
As always sweet souls,
Happy Self Love Sunday
Remember to take some time for you today.
and E V E R Y day