How To Do Downward Dog Yoga Poses – Step By Step Tutorial
By Sofia
Among all the different yoga poses, the downward dog position is very well recognized. It is a standing pose with mild inversion that helps to build the necessary strength. It helps to stretch the whole body and get the required strength easily. The name of this pose is named as the pose is similar to how dogs stretch their bodies.
This yoga pose is also very popular as Adho Mukha Svanasana. This pose is very common and beginner level. Most people start their yoga practice class with this pose at the start. It is performed as a transitional pose or resting pose to get the strength back. If you want to find out how to do it, then check out this step-by-step guide.
Benefits Of Downward Dog Pose
Before you find out the step-by-step guide of the downward dog position, you need to learn the benefits of this yoga pose. As mentioned earlier, it helps to rejuvenate and energizes your entire body. With the help of this yoga, you are stretching some deep body parts like calves, hamstrings, shoulders, arms, arches, spine, and hand.
This yoga is considered to be a light inversion as it makes the heart go higher than your head. So, you will be able to get all useful benefits like relief from insomnia, headaches, mild depression, fatigue, and others. Apart from that, the nervous system also calms down due to the blood flow. It helps enhance our abilities, such as stress relief, concentration, memory, and others.
Apart from these benefits, if you practice the downward dog position every day, you will get other benefits. Some of the most common ones include enhancing digestion, preventing osteoporosis, and curing back pain.
Step-By-Step Process
Now, coming to the part, we all have been waiting for. If you’re here, it means you want to find out the steps of the downward dog yoga position. So, without any delay, let’s find out the steps of this process in detail.
- Start with your knees and hands, then align the wrists directly under the shoulders and the knees under the hips. Make sure to keep the wrist folds parallel with the mat top edge. Next, point the middle fingers in the direction of the top edge of the mat.
- Stretch using your elbows and relax all the body on your upper back. Now, spread all the fingers evenly wide and try to press very slowly through the knuckles. Distribute all your weight through your hands. It might take some tries to do it accurately.
- In the next step, you have to exhale when you are tucking your toes and lifting the knees from the floor. Next, reach the pelvic up in the direction of the ceiling, then draw sit bones on the wall behind you.
- Now, try to straighten your legs without locking your knees. Try to bring your body to the “A” shape. Imagine your things and hips are being pulled back. Make sure not to reach closer to the hands by moving your feet. Try to keep the extension of the whole body.
- When you lift using your pelvis, try to press the floor gently away from you. Also, when you are lengthening the spine, try to lift the sit bones in the direction of the ceiling. Now, press down your palms and heels equally.
- Press all the index fingers to the floor when firming the outer muscles of the arms. Lift the inner muscles of the arms to the top of your shoulders. Draw the shoulder blades to the upper back ribs to your tailbone. Broad across the collarbones.
- Now, rotate both arms externally in a manner that elbow creases face the thumbs.
- Pull the chest towards the thighs and press the mat far from you. It will help to decompress and lengthen your spine very well.
- As you continue to lift the sit bones, engage the quadriceps, and rotate the thighs inward. Sink the heels to the floor as well.
- Align your upper arms with ears and relax the head. Do not let the head dangle; try to gaze toward the navel or between the legs.
- In the last step of downward dog position, you have to hold for at least 5-100 breaths.
- To release the pose, gently bend the knees and get up on your knees and hands.
Cautions
If you have some specific conditions, then you need to avoid doing the downward dog position. Do not practice the downward dog pose if you have a syndrome called severe carpal tunnel syndrome.
Apart from that, avoid it when you are in the latter stages of pregnancy. If you have any injury in the arms, back, shoulders, arms, and others. In case of high blood pressure, inner ear, or eye infection, it is best to consult with a doctor before trying this pose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How do you do downward dog pose for beginners?
You will need to follow all the steps very carefully and take your time. This might be an easy pose, but it takes time to perfect. So, make sure to follow every step very carefully. Not following the right steps can harm your body parts.
Q2. How do you cue downward dog?
Raise your body back and up in the posture. Ground them down in the plasma and raise the knees far away from the mat when shifting the stomach to your thighs. Keep your legs straight and hips up high.
Q3. Should Your feet be flat in downward dog?
The down dog needs always to be the same length. You have to press back without moving your feet and hands. If your feet are not still, then you might be doing the pose wrong.
Conclusion
Downward dog pose is one of the most common yoga poses that comes in the daily routine. You will be able to do it without any issue once you know how to do it. First, however, you need to know how to do it very well without any issues. Here is the step-by-step guide that can help you to do it very smoothly.
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