Yoga Downward Dog Pose
The dog yoga pose is better known as the downward facing dog pose, and is one of the most basic of all the yoga postures. It is also one of the more challenging. Yet it is a posture that all practitioners, whether novices or veterans, should work into their daily routines. The dog yoga pose is one which often takes quite a bit of time to master, so don’t get discouraged if you can’t do it perfectly on your first try. Remember that you are practicing yoga and yoga teaches patience and persistence. The idea is to try and try again until you’ve gotten it right.
Not all studios will teach the downward dog yoga pose automatically (don’t ask me why) so it’s important that you know to get into position on your own. The easiest way to visualize this pose is as an upside down V, with the feet and hands on the floor. If you already have some level of flexibility, you may be able to get into the posture by stretching, bringing your hands to floor and working your feet back a little. For safety, you may want to start off with your knees bent though, and then try to straighten your legs as much as possible. This is the challenging part of the exercise so don’t push if you can’t get your legs completely straight or you may end up pulling your hamstrings.
An important point to note with the downward dog yoga posture is that the hands should be fully extended, fingers pushing into the floor and making firm contact with the floor. This will help to avoid your wrists taking too much weight and becoming strained. Your feet should be a hip width apart and parallel to one another. The pressure exerted on both your upper and lower body should be as even as possible. If you feel that either your legs or your arms are taking more of the strain then you may not be in the proper position. There should be no arching of the back or contact between the knees. This can cause excessive tension in the relevant muscles and that’s the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve.
Some beginners starting yoga may be thinking to themself that there’s no way they can get their body into an upside down V shape and they’d just as well ignore the position altogether. That would be a mistake. The downward dog yoga pose is one of the most beneficial postures that you will ever come across and it can help to:
· Strengthen the muscles of the arms, shoulders, legs and lower back.
· Decrease back pain.
· Reduce spinal tension and any associated headaches.
· Increase circulation throughout the body, but especially to the brain (since the head is in an inverted position).
A lot of people consider the biggest benefit of the downward dog yoga pose to be the effects on the back. The number of individuals who suffer from back pain has increased dramatically over the years, in part due to changes in lifestyle. Chiropractors are making a ton of money from office workers, to drivers, to housewives, and everyone in between. The downward dog yoga posture stretches out the muscles of the back, thereby reducing the tightening that arises from being in one position for a long time.
As with any exercise though, there are some individuals who should take extra precautions when attempting this pose. Those suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome need to be especially careful since the wrists do bear some of the body’s weight and this can exacerbate the condition. Also, women in the late stages of pregnancy should avoid the pose as it can bring on abdominal pains for certain individuals.
Tags: downward dog, yoga, yoga pose, yoga position
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