Australian Yoga Journal - April 2016

79

april 2016

yogajournal.com.au

adho = down · mukha = face · svana = dog · asana = pose

Downward-Facing Dog Pose

Adho Mukha Svanasana

4 If you are moving deeper into the pose, slowly straighten
both legs and walk your feet forward a little. Your sitting
bones should be close to centred between your wrists and
ankles. Make sure your lower back doesn’t round and that
you can still maintain the lift of your sitting bones and the
curves of your spine. Extend your arms fully and keep your
lower ribs moving toward your spine to avoid your low-back
overarching and compression. Descend your heels even more
as you engage your quadriceps. Maintain Mula Bandha and
breathe freely through your nose. Stay for 20–25 breaths
before coming down to rest in Balasana (Child’s Pose).

Stay safe

If your hamstrings are stiff and you try to get your heels to reach the floor, your Downward-Facing Dog will be

bunched up, with too little distance between your hands and feet. This can round and put pressure on your lower

back. Instead, spend extra time warming up in Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose to lengthen your hamstrings safely,

then practice Down Dog with bent knees. Also, be vigilant about the distance between your hands: If they are wider

than your shoulders, this can cause neck and shoulder tension. Instead, broaden your shoulders to find freedom.

DON’T turn out your hands. When you

do, pressure goes into the outer wrists

and you risk destabilising your hands.

DON’T let the inner triads of your hands

lift. This narrows the carpal tunnel of your

wrists and can cause injury over time.