Workshopping Downward Facing Dog

Being a yoga teacher is a journey of learning in itself.  Every time I teach, I learn something new.  Sometimes during teaching, I have an epiphany about my own yoga practice, or I learn about better ways to communicate in my classes. Or sometimes I learn something more abstract, like how to be more kind and compassionate.

One of the most significant things that I have learned while teaching is that each person experiences the same thing differently.  It could be something physical like practicing an asana such as Downward Facing Dog — which feels very different in one person’s body who has chronic tightness in their shoulders, and someone else who is incredibly supple and flexible in the shoulders.  It could also be something less physical, like a poem that two people read together but interpret completely differently.  Another example is the old cliche of how the same glass of water could be considered half full by one, yet half empty by another.

Although Downward Facing Dog is a well known yoga pose that is included in many yoga classes, it can be a challenging pose to do because of the flexibility that is required in the legs, back, and shoulders.   Today I want to discuss this pose, and the many variations that can be made to this pose to either make it more challenging, or to make it more accessible.  By trying out the different variations, perhaps you can learn more about your own body.  See how the pose feels for you physically.  Then also, perhaps you can observe how it makes you feel emotionally.  Does it make you feel frustrated, or it is exhilarated, or does it bring up some forgotten memories that you had once buried somewhere deep in your mind or heart?  Such revelations can happen during yoga.  Use the opportunity to observe and learn your own experience within your body and mind.  Then when you’re done with your practice today, maybe you can bring that sense of awareness to your life off the yoga mat — see if you you experience the other parts of your life!

Here are five variations of Downward Facing Dog that you can experiment with.  As always, practice at your level taking care to not over exert yourself.  Ask for help from your favorite yoga instructor if you feel you need the assistance.  Feel free to comment or send me a message if you have any questions!

Before we start, here are some conditions that are contraindications for Downward Facing Dog in which it is recommended that you should not practice this position:

• High blood pressure (see variation # 3 for a modification that you could practice instead)
• Pregnancy (variation # 3 may be a suitable modification that you can try instead)
• Diarrhea
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (if you have a mild case, you can try using a yoga wrist wedge — I like this one because it is made of cork so it is eco-friendly; otherwise check out variation #3 which is easy on the wrists)

Before doing any of the variations of Downward Facing Dog, here are some general alignment tips that you can keep in mind to help you to not hurt yourself and to get the most out of the pose:

• Your feet are hip’s distance apart to allow room for your tailbone to lengthen.
• Think of drawing the tailbone up and back like you want to draw your spine longer.
• Fingers are spread out and flat to allow the weight to be distributed evenly throughout the entire palm — this will save the pressure from accumulating in your wrists.
• Hands are shoulder’s width apart to allow your chest to broaden.
• The distance between hands and feet should be enough to form a 90º angle between your torso and your legs.
• Thighs are actively drawing backwards to straighten the legs as the heels draw toward the ground (even if they do not touch the ground).  This will bring the weight of your body toward the legs so that it’s not all resting on your hands.
• Think of your arms as extensions of your spine — lengthen the spine and arms as your draw the tailbone in the opposite direction.  This will help you to lengthen the spine.  Do not allow your spine to round here.  If you have difficulty keeping your spine flat, practice Variation # 3 first in order to not strain your back.