Australian Yoga Journal - April 2016

78

april 2016

yogajournal.com.au

YOGAPEDIA

rti ll

Find stability in your hands and feet and a more extended spine

as you move step by step into Adho Mukha Svanasana.

Benefit

Clears stiffness in your shoulders; lengthens

and straightens your legs; helps to create

arches in your feet and strengthen your ankles

Instruction

1 Come onto your hands and knees, with your

hands shoulder-width apart and your knees

hip-width apart. Press the inner triads of both

hands firmly into the mat. Turn the eyes of

your elbows toward each other and align your

shoulders over your wrists. Your knees should

be behind your sitting bones to maximise

length in your torso and spine when you

move into Down Dog.

2 For a few breaths, arch and round your

spine, simultaneously moving your head

and tail like you did in Cat-Cow Pose.

3 From a Cat tilt, curl your toes under. On an

exhalation, slowly lift your knees off the floor,

bringing them in line with your ankles.

Keep your knees bent and stretch your arms

intensely to lengthen your torso. Press the

mat away from you and open your upper,

or armpit, chest. Lift your sitting bones to tilt

the top of your pelvis forward and maintain

the natural curves of your spine. If your

hamstrings are stiff, this is a good place to

stay—remaining here opens the shoulders

and wakes up the spine without putting

pressure on your lower back.