downward dog
Step by step
• From all fours (on your hands and knees) bring your hands slightly forward of your shoulders.
• Middle finger pointing forward with your fingers spread,
• Firm you’re hands down, pressing through the outer edges of the palm and the finger tips - imagine clawing into the ground to create a little suction cup of air in the middle of your palm (Hasta Bandha).
• Keep your upper arms and shoulders rotated outwards while your forearms rotate in.
• Tuck your toes under (feet are hip distance apart).
• On an exhalation, engage your lower belly drawing the navel back to the spine. Press the floor away from you, lift your hips back and up to push yourself back into an upside-down V pose.
• Keep your knees initially bent to lengthen the spine, taking the hips up and away from you. Then if possible straighten the legs, while maintaining the length in the spine. Taking the top of the thighs and knees back.
• Press upper arms towards each other, shoulder blades down along the spine, but keeping the space across the tops of the shoulders.
Benefits
• Strengthens the upper body, arms, shoulders, chest and legs.
• Stretches chest, shoulders.
• Stretches the whole back of the body, ankles, calves, hamstrings, spine.
• Calms the mind.
• Overall energizes the body.
• Stimulates blood circulation.
• Neutralises the spine between backbends and forward bends.
Complementary poses
• Plank pose / Phalakasana
• Forward bend / Uttanasana
• Supported Headstand / Salamba Sirsasana
• Mountain pose / Tadasana
• Dolphin pose