No Time for Yoga?
| Written By: Denice Zengo |
Short on Time for Your Yoga Practice?
Spending 5 minutes practicing downward dog is a powerful way to stretch, lengthen and strengthen those major muscles in your back, legs, shoulders and belly. Make sure you know how to properly engage the elements of the pose.
This is one of my favorite poses. I will stretch out into a downward dog at various times throughout my day. If I’m feeling locked, tired and sluggish, a quick 30 second downward dog gets the blood flowing through my spine and helps me to feel more energized. You can do it anywhere – with or without your mat.
Modify to Practice Anywhere
Get the same benefits and work the same muscles by placing your hands against a wall at shoulder height. Try to line your legs up directly under your hips. Push into the wall with your hands and simultaneously draw your torso away from your arms. Create more stretch by pushing the thigh bones away from your body.
Ado Mukha Svanasana – Downward Facing Dog
Here are 2 great ways to set yourself up for the full pose. Both will help you gain an understanding of how to be optimally positioned in the pose. Once you have a solid feel for the distance, you can just step back into the pose from a forward bend.
1. Start by coming into child’s pose
Shins on the floor, knees together and buttocks resting on your heels. Stretch your arms out in front with your hands parallel-shoulder width apart.
To come into the full pose, curl your toes under and lift your tail bone towards the sky. Create length in your legs by pressing your thigh bones away from your body and draw your heels towards the earth.
2. Start by coming into a table top position
Make sure your wrists line up under your shoulders – knees are hips distance apart and slightly back from the hips – ankles follow your knees.
Same as above… curl your toes under and lift your tail bone towards the sky. Create length in your legs by pressing your thigh bones away from your body and draw your heels towards the earth.
Focus on Lengthening Your Spine
It’s more important to have a long straight spine as opposed to straight legs and a rounded back. Bend your knees to lengthen your spine and draw the weight back from your shoulders. Keep focusing on stretching back if you feel your weight is sinking into your hands.
It’s All About Moving Energy
Thinking about how the energy moves while you are practicing asana is a way to focus inward. Stop thinking about how you look in the pose – learn to feel into it.
When you practice your downward dog, imagine drawing the energy up from the earth, along your arms. Continue to mindfully draw the energy along your spine while keying into length in the center and side body. Create as much length and openness as possible. The high point is the tailbone – after which, the energy continues down the legs to the feet, grounding back into the earth.
Don’t worry if your heels don’t touch the floor. If you practiced everyday with a book beneath your heels and every day removed a page… eventually your heels will reach the floor.
Tight Hamstrings?
If your hamstrings are tight place your hands on the back of a chair and lengthen from there. As long as you are consistent and set your intentions towards correct alignment and position, your body will eventually make healthy changes towards strength, balance and symmetry.
View your yoga practice as an exploration. See what happens when you set aside time throughout the day to throw in a few downward dogs. Let me know what you discover.
