For once I’m not saying ‘Get Down Dog’ to my fur-kids.
Downward Facing Dog (aka. Down Dog) is one of the most important postures in Yoga… IMO.     

This posture is Awesome… did I say Awesome… I meant, Awesome for Athletes!  Whether you are a Mixed Martial Artist,  a Cyclist, or a Golfer… Down Dog is great for extending the shoulders and creating strength and flexibility throughout the entire body. 

Down Dog by Diane Wat

If we are new to Yoga this probably won’t feel like a very ‘natural’ pose at first, but soon it will become your favorite!  Promise! 
Getting back into our Cinderella-like posture (hands and knees). Spread the fingers out really wide with the middle finger directly in front of the wrist. Keep the finger tips pressing down (with the palm still resting comfortably on the floor) to avoid any tension in the wrists.  Then curl the  toes under and start to lift the hips to the ceiling. Imagine an upside down letter ‘V’. For many of us with lower back issues or tight hamstrings, start with the legs bent so that our focus stays in lengthening the back and pressing the sit bones high. If you have any medical conditions, especially shoulder injuries or high BP, please check with your Physician prior to doing this or any other glorious Yoga postures.    

To move a little deeper in this pose, begin to straighten the legs and press the weight of the body towards the back wall, and the heels sink a bit closer to the floor.  As we become more comfortable we can start to create space between the shoulder blades; imagine we drew a smiley face on each armpit, I know, go ahead and giggle… then in Down Dog try to scoop the pits towards one another so the faces are smiling at each other.  This helps to open the upper back and keep the shoulders pressing away from the ears.  Oh, and remember to breath slow and deep!   Tah Dah!  This is the wonderful Downward Facing Dog!!  aaaahhhhh….. Continue to practice this one just a couple minutes a day, maybe during a commercial, and I’ll see you here again soon for the next totally Awesome posture   

Namaste’ 

Carrisa

Downward Facing Dog = Adho-Mukha-Svanasana