Downward Dog Step By Step

Downward Dog is a foundational yoga pose that we use at The Elevate Practice as a full body stretch. This pose forms the cornerstone of many yoga practices and can be done by itself in the middle of the day to reset, recalibrate and recover.

There are so many ways to do down dog, and the main thing to remember is that just like there are infinite kinds of real dogs, there are many variations of how to do down dog so it works for YOUR body.

The simplest way to describe down dog is that your body forms an inverted V shape, with the hands and feet on the floor, resulting in a fabulous stretch.

If you are working on downward facing dog for your yoga practice, downward facing dogs, check out this short tutorial.

For beginner students, Downward Dog can be challenging.One of the most common difficulties is finding the right balance. Tight hamstrings or shoulders can make extending the legs or keeping the arms straight challenging.

The secret is to bend the knees and take the pressure off the shoulders by pushing into the floor instead of letting your hands SINK into the floor.

Balancing the weight evenly between the hands and feet without straining the wrists or shoulders can also be a struggle when starting out.

The goal is not to have a perfect pose, but to use the pose (and EVERY pose) as a tool- a tool that helps us feel better.

To perform Downward Dog effectively, follow these key steps:

• Start on your hands and knees, with wrists aligned under the shoulders and knees under the hips.

• Press into the palms and lift the hips upward, extending the arms and keeping a slight bend in the knees.

• Engage the core muscles to support the spine and keep the back long,.

• Allow the heels to be up while maintaining length in the spine, creating a gentle stretch in the calves and hamstrings.

At The Elevate Practice, we integrate Downward Dog into our classes to build strength, flexibility, and body intelligence.

We build a sustainable and attainable practice by adjusting the pose to work for us and letting go of trying to force our body into the pose.

Let’s keep elevating the way we practice.