Discussion Topic
All about downward facing dog:)
Posted on 08/18/08, 03:29 pm
Ok, so the pose looks beautiful when you see it in a photo from a yoga magazine or you see someone performing it in a class. Hey, your dog can make it look dead easy, the little bugger! So why is downdog so HARD, you might ask yourself? Why are my arms quaking, why does my neck feel so tight, why are my shoulders on fire, why can't I straighten my legs? WHYYYYYYYYY??????? I'm sure this has happened to all of us when we were first attempting downdog or even if we've been practicing for years. Here's the answer: because it is hard until you build strength, stamina, use your breath (BIG ONE) and have proper alignment (BIG ONE). So what going on in downdog and how can you help yourself make this a pose of ease or at least more pleasant?
I'll start with your hands first. When you are in downdog, you need to spread your fingers wide placing emphasis on the webbing between the thumb and the index finger. That extra effort in the triangle of the thumb and index finger is a big key to releasing your shoulders and your neck. Next, we'll move to your hand placement. Your hands must be should width distance apart, no more and no less. Before you practice downdog take a moment to get down on your hands and knees and place your hands directly under your shoulders. Make sure you've got a LONG dog, not a short one. You want your spine to extend so the closer your feet are to your hips, the less extension you're going to get and the more tension you're going to build. If your heels are down but your feeling tons of tension in the neck and arms them you need to walk your feet back. It doesn't matter if your heels touch the ground or not. Some people can just get their heels down very easily. I've been doing down dog for 7 years and my heels still don't touch the ground. So make sure you walk your feet back. Another note on foot placement, your feet should only be hips width distance apart, no more no less. You can check this out while you're checking out your hand placement. Now your ready to extend into down dog but how? Yes, you've seen people gracefully sweep back into down dog but that's not leg and arm strength you're watching, that's their core working for them. You work your core by pulling the lower abs up and in. This needs to be engaged throughout down dog. So while your still on hands and knees, scoop the belly in and up. Now, you can certainly bend your knees and make your way into down dog until you understand the action in the lower belly. Nothing wrong with that and some of us may never feel comfortable swinging back into down dog. It's your practice, remember that. OK, what missing now? Your breath. Taking equal breaths in and out through your nose is important. You're circulating fresh oxygen into your blood and also keying in to what your body needs in the pose. So, before parking back into dog, take a few moments to establish the breath. Long, smooth inhales and exhales. Make sure you're not holding tension in your jaw and face. This creates tension in the body. When the breath becomes ragged you need to rest or something is wrong. Pay attention to the quality of your breathing, it is the doorway to your body. OK, so now we've either swung or stepped into down dog. Press firmly through the knuckles of your fingers, remembering that triangle between your thumb and index finger. You want to feel like your elbow creases are outwardly rotating so that you free of the neck and thoracic spine. Next drop the shoulder blades down the back and drop your head as if it were a ripe fruit. You don't need to use you neck for any reason in down dog so just let it go. Keeping your belly engaged, melt your chest towards your legs. Now your legs are either bent or straight. Breath into the back of your legs so that eventually they will straighten. If not that OK, too but really make an extra effort to lengthen the breath. Take a look at your feet. Are your toes all crunched up? That is really telling you what your mind is doing. Relax the toes and spread them out. Make sure your heels are hidden behind your ankles. If your legs are straight you should be pulling up on the knee caps and moving the front of your thighs to the back of your thighs. With every breath moving your head closer to the floor, as your upper back relaxes.
Equal effort in legs and arms. Make sure your lower ribs aren't down but in slightly. You don't want a swoop in your back. You're looking for straight arms, straight legs, straight spine, belly engaged, hands and feet on alive and the breath always present. I'm sure I'm missing a few things but this is what I wanted to share with you today. Enjoy your day and your next down dog! Namaste!
I'll start with your hands first. When you are in downdog, you need to spread your fingers wide placing emphasis on the webbing between the thumb and the index finger. That extra effort in the triangle of the thumb and index finger is a big key to releasing your shoulders and your neck. Next, we'll move to your hand placement. Your hands must be should width distance apart, no more and no less. Before you practice downdog take a moment to get down on your hands and knees and place your hands directly under your shoulders. Make sure you've got a LONG dog, not a short one. You want your spine to extend so the closer your feet are to your hips, the less extension you're going to get and the more tension you're going to build. If your heels are down but your feeling tons of tension in the neck and arms them you need to walk your feet back. It doesn't matter if your heels touch the ground or not. Some people can just get their heels down very easily. I've been doing down dog for 7 years and my heels still don't touch the ground. So make sure you walk your feet back. Another note on foot placement, your feet should only be hips width distance apart, no more no less. You can check this out while you're checking out your hand placement. Now your ready to extend into down dog but how? Yes, you've seen people gracefully sweep back into down dog but that's not leg and arm strength you're watching, that's their core working for them. You work your core by pulling the lower abs up and in. This needs to be engaged throughout down dog. So while your still on hands and knees, scoop the belly in and up. Now, you can certainly bend your knees and make your way into down dog until you understand the action in the lower belly. Nothing wrong with that and some of us may never feel comfortable swinging back into down dog. It's your practice, remember that. OK, what missing now? Your breath. Taking equal breaths in and out through your nose is important. You're circulating fresh oxygen into your blood and also keying in to what your body needs in the pose. So, before parking back into dog, take a few moments to establish the breath. Long, smooth inhales and exhales. Make sure you're not holding tension in your jaw and face. This creates tension in the body. When the breath becomes ragged you need to rest or something is wrong. Pay attention to the quality of your breathing, it is the doorway to your body. OK, so now we've either swung or stepped into down dog. Press firmly through the knuckles of your fingers, remembering that triangle between your thumb and index finger. You want to feel like your elbow creases are outwardly rotating so that you free of the neck and thoracic spine. Next drop the shoulder blades down the back and drop your head as if it were a ripe fruit. You don't need to use you neck for any reason in down dog so just let it go. Keeping your belly engaged, melt your chest towards your legs. Now your legs are either bent or straight. Breath into the back of your legs so that eventually they will straighten. If not that OK, too but really make an extra effort to lengthen the breath. Take a look at your feet. Are your toes all crunched up? That is really telling you what your mind is doing. Relax the toes and spread them out. Make sure your heels are hidden behind your ankles. If your legs are straight you should be pulling up on the knee caps and moving the front of your thighs to the back of your thighs. With every breath moving your head closer to the floor, as your upper back relaxes.
Equal effort in legs and arms. Make sure your lower ribs aren't down but in slightly. You don't want a swoop in your back. You're looking for straight arms, straight legs, straight spine, belly engaged, hands and feet on alive and the breath always present. I'm sure I'm missing a few things but this is what I wanted to share with you today. Enjoy your day and your next down dog! Namaste!
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Reply #1 08/18/08 3:31pm
Oh, and only hold it for as long as your breath stays smooth. You can always rest in child's pose. It's important to know when you need to rest. Maybe you only hold it for 3 breaths but think of it as not holding but organic and fluid and always changing. We're not striking a pose, we're making the pose work for us. -
Reply #2 08/18/08 3:36pm
One more thing, you should feel an inward rotation in the muscles of the legs. Inward for legs, outward for arms. -
Reply #3 08/19/08 7:00am
Thanks for the info, fortunately downward dog is one of the positions that are easier for me. I have real problems with the sciatica opening poses. I forget what it is called (sitting angularly?) where you spread your legs wide out and lean to one side and bring the other arm up. I know that I am doing this one wrong, but there is so much pain with it. I am using a yoga dvd from yoga zone with Alan Finger for flexibility and stress release. I have to say that I am now a firm believer in the healing properties of yoga, I cannot believe how clear my mind has become. -
Reply #4 08/19/08 7:47am
I know the pose you're talking about. You're working toward getting the shoulder inside the thigh so in 'perfect' execution, you can clasp your right foot with you left hand, rotating your chest open to the sky. Are your sits bones both on the floor? That's important. Is your belly engaged so you working to lengthen both side of the waist? You don't want to crunch one side and just lengthen the other. Moving from the core with keep you from collapsing into the lower back. Keep your heart bright and open, if you start to round across the chest, you know your core isn't working for you and you need to back off. The arm is extraneous. Only lift it up and over as far as feels slightly uncomfortable and then no more. You shouldn't feel pain in these poses. Good ones for sciatica are the pidgeon postures, low lunge, high lunge, cobbler's pose.... anything that frees up the hips from all angles will release the sciatica. Also, when your legs are are extended out you want to keep your legs active. Toes flexed back, knee caps pulled up, toes spread, this protects your hamstrings and also reminders you to engage your core. -
Reply #5 08/19/08 9:30am
Thanks AnneL, Yes, my sit bone is on the floor, belly engaged; I feel pain as soon as I spread my legs out and try to balance on the sit bone with toes flexed and leg muscles engaged. I do feel better after the stretches when I sit straight up. I think I am focusing on getting my arm over too much so thank you so much for mentioning that the arm is extraneous. I will try not to concetrate on it during my exercises today. Thanks form a yoga dummy.lol -
Reply #6 08/19/08 11:21am
Hey we're all beginners when we step on to our mats. Actually wide angle is good for the sciatica as is forward seated bend. Make sure there's a hinge going on in the hips and not a bend at the waist. That's the only other thing I think of. -
Reply #7 08/19/08 1:33pm
Thank you so much for the info!!! I tried to ignore the arm that is in the air and focus on my legs, but I'm in real pain. I don't have pain in any of the other poses and have progressed quite rapidly, this one is just my achilles heel. -
Reply #8 08/19/08 3:42pm
Try it with your arm wrapped around your waist and see if that helps. If you're leaning to the right, take your left hand and bring it to the top of your thigh crease and see what that changes. Or leave the arm out all together. I like wrapping the arm around because it forces me to really find out what is going on. It's usually the tiniest thing that causes pain. Do you experience the pain when your legs to wide immediately or when you start to bend to the side? -
Reply #9 08/19/08 4:59pm
Thanks for the tip, I will try it tomorrow. I experience the pain immediately when I open my legs, maybe my core needs strengthening? I have another question if you don't mind; while doing my yoga today during the lunge with your arms straing up in the air-it felt like electrical shocks in my fingertips and hands. It was really crackling for the full four breaths, is this normal? I have a friend that told me this is a good sign of energy flow. -
Reply #10 08/19/08 8:44pm
If it's not painful then that's fantastic! Yes, that's what we all should be in tune with. Receiving and giving energy. Our hands lifted in offering and reception of the energy that is is an incredible moment indeed. That's lovely!
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