Have you ever wondered or desired to learn more about each yoga posture in your practice? Here is the inside scoop into Downward Facing Dog - Adho Mukha Svanasana. Meet the one pose that is such a staple in our yoga practice from health benefits and posture insights to mythological stories.
Cuing the Pose: Down dog is a full body strength and stretch posture from your hands down to your toes and one pose that is widely recognized in yoga.
Feet: Heels press towards the mat.
Hands: Spread toes and fingers wide.
Legs: Lengthen the legs towards the sky. Sacrum lifted. Internal rotation of the hips.
Arms: Activate elbows - turn the eye to the front of the mat.
Contraindications: The most important lesson here is to listen to your body. Not every cue in class is going to match where your body feels that day and that time. Tune in. Listen. Follow your intuition. As a basic guideline here are some contraindications for Downward Facing Dog:
Knee, shoulder, ankle, wrist injury or surgery.
Reduce time held if migraine, epilepsy, or vertigo history.
Pregnancy- Third trimester.
Benefits: There are many benefits to each yoga pose. It is amazing how much one posture can tap into and heal in our bodies. Find what you want to focus on and send your breath to that area for ultimate healing and benefits.
Opens the chest, shoulders, hips and glutes.
Stimulates the digestive organs from increased blood flow.
Fully stretches the posterior chain.
Increases the flow of prana, reducing blockages.
Balances the Heart Chakra (Anahata), Throat Chakra (Vishuddha), and the Third Eye Chakra (Ajna).
Strengthens body alignment through toned arms (biceps & tricpes), legs (quads) and spine.
Relieves compression of the spinal nerves.
Can release sinus pressure and nasal congestion by being inverted.
The breath stimulates the Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)
Mythology: Behind every pose is a story of a sage that teaches us life lessons from their victories, mistakes, or simply life encounters. This is one of the many stories of Downward Facing Dog - Adho Mukha Svanasana.
In the Mahabharata, the war was over and the Pandavas family was making their way to heaven. The eldest, Yudhishthira, led the long arduous climb up the mountain the the chariot. The six members climbed and were followed by a lone dog.
As the journey became more difficult, each member struggled with their own internal conflicts.
Draupadi collapsed and was unable to continue. She had secretly favored Arjuna and this attachment to him had been her undoing.
Sahadeva was next. He only trusted his own intellect that he did not listen to his family’s advice and this led to his undoing.
Nakula being too proud and boastful of his looks was the next to collapse.
Arjuna was the next to collapse from being overly confident and conceited.
Bheema collapsed due his overly gluttonous nature and taking too much of the family’s share of fuel.
At the top of the mountain, Lord Indra descended down in a chariot. He saw Yudhishthira and a dog, wagging its tail. At first, Lord Indra denied the dog’s entry into heaven, but Yudhishthira begged for its loyalty, faith and love to be honored. And, Lord Indra agreed. “Congratulations, Yudhishthira, you have passed the ultimate test,” he said. “This dog is none other than Dharma, and you have shown that you have an intimate bond with Dharma. Welcome to heaven.”
I hope you learned something new about Downward Facing Dog - Adho Mukha Svanasana. I hope the next time you sink into this posture you remember some of the benefits and the story of the posture. I hope it gives you a deeper connection inward and to the beauty of yoga.
All my light. All my love.
Namaste,
Jordan
P.S - Check out the printable that goes along with this pose! It has everything above and more. Print out as many copies as you want and build your yoga library!
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