The downward dog is a great resting position that you come back to many times through out your practice, so its important to get the foundations of it correct so it actually feels like a resting position.
FOUNDATION
- Hands at shoulder width and feet at hip width
- Spread your fingers wide like a tree frog, gripping on to the mat
- Externally rotate your shoulders (imagine the action of externally opening two jam jars with your hands)
- Lift up through the belly switching on your core
- Lift your sit bones (hips) towards the ceiling, pulling your stomach in and lowering your chest down
- Keeping your knees bent at the start until the legs warm up then lightly push the heels down to the floor, stretching out the back of the legs
- Keep a micro bend in the knees to protect the knee joint and make sure you relax you neck
BREATH
- Deep inhales in and out through the nose until your body softens into the pose
BENEFITS
- Strengthens your wrists and Achilles tendons
- Has a lengthening effect on your shoulders and spine
- Has a rejuvenating effect on your nervous system
Sammy Veall owns and runs Yoga 213 with studios in Bondi Junction, Sydney and South Yarra, Melbourne.
Photography by Deanna Geralch
This story was originally published on The Carousel.
