Downward Facing Dog Posture
Article written by: Jemma Black - Hatha Yoga Teacher
Over the last few issues of the South Dunfermline Newsletter, I have explained and explored what Yoga is, the varying types of Yoga and how Yoga can help you. This month I will focus on a particular pose, or Asana as it is called in Sanskrit, the ancient language of Yoga. Today we look at Downward Facing Dog (Adoh Mukka Svanasna in Sanskrit).
Downward Facing Dog is a posture that stretches out the back muscles, rib cage and spine. It opens and strengthens the shoulders and lengthens and strengthens the biceps and triceps muscles. As a secondary stretch, it is also good for gluteus muscles, hamstrings and calf muscles. It’s a fantastic head to toe stretch, which also works deep into the circulatory and lymphatic systems and increases blood circulation to the sensory organs, heart and brain. But there is so much more to this posture than that.
Downward Dog is a cooling pose. We plant the hands and feet into the earth, and as we gently lift the tailbone upwards, the head is released below the heart, allowing space for us to breathe deeply into the body. If we focus into the physical aspects of the pose, we feel deep stretches in the muscles mentioned above, we feel the length created into the spine. However, if we focus into what the posture represents, we can feel that it offers a sense of grounding and presence, almost taming our wild energies and calming us, giving a sense of unconditional love and loyalty that is representative of a domestic dog.
This posture takes a reasonable amount of strength into the shoulders, arms and wrists and for some is just not an easy pose to do in the traditional form. Likewise, those with high or unstable blood pressure should not practise the traditional posture, but as I’ve said before, there is always an alternative with Yoga, and Downward Dog can easily be taken standing, either using a chair or a wall for support. I even offer this posture seated in my chair class. You can still tap into all the elements that I have mentioned above, it’s just about finding what feels right for you, letting go of what you think it should look like and going with what it feels like. And if it feels good, then it is doing good!
If you have any questions regarding this article, or any of my classes, please get in touch via my website at www.theyogahutfife.co.uk
Om Shanti
