Marlene Henny takes us through a couple of techniques to practice the correct alignment for the arms in Downward Facing Dog.
Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) is one of the first yoga poses many people will learn. It is brilliant for building strength in the body. It brings energy but also calms the body and can be a neutralising rest pose in between twists and backbends.
However, in Downward Facing Dog it’s quite common for people to roll the shoulder heads and upper arms inwards. This can scrunch up the shoulders and neck, creating tension and making the pose harder to hold.
4 Steps to an easier Downward Dog
Here is a simple exercise to learn how to align your shoulders and to make Downward Dog easier and more comfortable to hold.
Step 1. Sit on your heels with your open arms straight out to the sides, palms facing down.
Turn your palms upwards to roll the upper arms and shoulder heads back (so your thumb will be pointing behind you). Allow the shoulder blades to draw down the back keeping the base of the neck free and relaxed. You might start to feel more space and ease in your neck and shoulders already.
Step 2. Then, keeping the upper arms rolled out, flip just the wrist back so it is facing the ground.
Step 3. Keep this alignment and rotation and bring your arms to the front. Keep the arm bones plugged back into their sockets to create a strong frame with your shoulders.
Step 4. Place the hands on the floor in front of you with your fingers spread, pushing firmly through the base of the first finger and thumb especially.
Setting the alignment of the hands and arms coming into the pose.
When you tuck your toes and extend your legs into the pose, your upper arms stay rotating outwards instead of in, and your shoulders will feel broad. This takes out the tension and you will feel way more relaxed and spacious in the shoulders.
Tip
If you are limited because of tightness you can bring your shoulders a little bit forward instead of bringing shoulders back towards the thighs. Keep the shoulder blades on the back and stay here in the pose. Let your neck be in line with the spine allowing the energy to flow freely.
Watch Marlene’s video for more tips and instructions
Take a look at our step-by-step guide to the pose.
Category: yoga poses
Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) is one of the first yoga poses many people will learn. It is brilliant for building strength in the body. It brings energy but also calms the body and can be a neutralising rest pose in between twists and backbends.
However, in Downward Facing Dog it’s quite common for people to roll the shoulder heads and upper arms inwards. This can scrunch up the shoulders and neck, creating tension and making the pose harder to hold.
4 Steps to an easier Downward Dog
Here is a simple exercise to learn how to align your shoulders and to make Downward Dog easier and more comfortable to hold.
Step 1. Sit on your heels with your open arms straight out to the sides, palms facing down.
Turn your palms upwards to roll the upper arms and shoulder heads back (so your thumb will be pointing behind you). Allow the shoulder blades to draw down the back keeping the base of the neck free and relaxed. You might start to feel more space and ease in your neck and shoulders already.
Step 2. Then, keeping the upper arms rolled out, flip just the wrist back so it is facing the ground.
Step 3. Keep this alignment and rotation and bring your arms to the front. Keep the arm bones plugged back into their sockets to create a strong frame with your shoulders.
Step 4. Place the hands on the floor in front of you with your fingers spread, pushing firmly through the base of the first finger and thumb especially.
Setting the alignment of the hands and arms coming into the pose.
When you tuck your toes and extend your legs into the pose, your upper arms stay rotating outwards instead of in, and your shoulders will feel broad. This takes out the tension and you will feel way more relaxed and spacious in the shoulders.
Tip
If you are limited because of tightness you can bring your shoulders a little bit forward instead of bringing shoulders back towards the thighs. Keep the shoulder blades on the back and stay here in the pose. Let your neck be in line with the spine allowing the energy to flow freely.
Watch Marlene’s video for more tips and instructions
Take a look at our step-by-step guide to the pose.
Category: yoga poses
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου