Mermaid Yoga: Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
With Laura Gonzales
Laura is a qualified Yoga teacher, read more about her in her profile.
Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
To Get into the Pose:
Starting on all fours, bring your hands slightly in front of your shoulders. Spread through your fingers and ground down through the entire span of your hand, fingers included. Tuck your toes under and exhale as you press your hips up and back. Bend your knees to start and take your sit bones to the sky, feet should be hip width apart.
Firm the outer arms in by wrapping your triceps around the bone, this helps to externally rotate the shoulders and creates space in your upper back. Press your chest towards your thighs and get nice and long through the sides of your waist while engaging through your core and drawing the low ribs in.
Keeping the sit bones lifting towards the sky, start to straighten through your legs, pressing your thighs back and dropping heels towards the floor.
Relax through your head and neck. As you become comfortable in this pose, keep your head between your arms and gaze back between your legs.
Benefits:
Down dog is one of the poses included in Sun Salutations sequence. It stretches and opens the entire back side of the body and decompresses the spinal column. It strengthens arms and shoulders and when performed correctly it strengthens the rotator cuff muscles that help to stabilise the shoulder. Downward facing dog is considered an inversion because your head is below your heart, therefore this pose helps to bring fresh oxygen to the central nervous system.
Check out the Rest of the Flow in the Series so far…
DISCLAIMER * Please be advised that The Mermaid Society provides Yoga poses as a story of interest. Should you chose to try a pose or activity you do so at your own risk and The Mermaid Society takes no responsibility for injury sustained by or from you participating in the activity. If you are not sure whether you should participate in an activity please check with your local General Practitioner GP.
