Downward-Facing Dog

As Bode’s expression and quote demonstrate, dogs are smarter than humans, especially when it comes to energizing and nourishing the spine. The human version of downward-facing dog is but a poor imitation of what dogs often do naturally when rising from a nap or when coaxing a peer into play.  So let’s play with two versions, a more traditional one (like in the photo) and a seated /standing version at table. But first, let’s quickly explore what is essential to both….

Over time, in downward-facing dog, the spine becomes a connected two-way street, from hands to sitting bones to feet and vice-versa. While working hard, the pose learns to lighten and nourish.

More traditional pose: Get on your hands and knees, hands slightly in front of shoulders, hips slightly forward from the knees.  Straighten your legs but stay firmly on the balls of your feet.  Open the palms while pushing the floor away, draw awareness up the arms, through the spine, and out the sitting bones toward where the ceiling hits the wall.  Keep these connections active while broadening across the back of the thighs and descending only slightly your heels toward the floor.  Connect the sensation of an expanding spine to awareness in the hands, sitting bones, and feet.  Oh yeah, remember to breathe.

Options:  

1)  Place a blanket under the knees if the floor feels too hard.

2) This pose can be done with hands against the wall and hinging at a right angle at the hips with legs and feet upright.

3) This pose can be done without straightening the legs on your hands and knees.

Seated or standing dog pose: Sit in a chair, or stand about 12-24 inches from a tabletop. Lean slightly forward, taking more weight on the front edge of your sitting bones. Place your hands onto a table, shoulder width apart, and palms down. Press hands down, emphasizing the index finger side of the hands while drawing the inner upper arms toward the torso and up slightly up toward the ceiling.  Hit down through your sitting bones, broaden across your very low back, extend from the inner groin to the inner knee, and press down through the inner heel.  Activate the entire pose by slightly lifting your chest.  Oh yeah, remember to breathe.

Benefits of all versions:

1) Activates the spine while nourishing it.

2) Connect spine and hands and feet.

3) Can be done before an activating activity or after finishing it.

4) Resets and clears the mind.