Full Moon Yoga - Downward Facing Dog

Downward-Facing Dog Pose

This strong pose is perfect for Full Moon energy but can also be a place to find peace and stability in turbulent times. Let’s learn a little more about Downward-Facing Dog (or Down Dog) pose, Adho Mukha Svanasana in Sanskrit.

Downward-Facing Dog pose 

Downward-Facing Dog pose with a micro-bend in the knees

This is one of those strong but stabilising yoga poses which can be used to stoke up our energy, but which also gives us a slightly introspective place to be – it can be both invigorating and calming at the same time. The pose provides an inversion, where our head is lower than our heart, so it’s not for everyone – do watch out for conditions where such inversions are not recommended. The pose, and moving in and out of it, will cause changes in blood pressure, which can be beneficial but may also have some adverse effects if you have issues with blood pressure. Having said that, Downward-Facing Dog is a stable inversion where we don’t need to balance on just hands or stand on our head, so it is more accessible than some other inverted poses.

The other key feature of any inversion is that you are upside-down, which might feel challenging…. or really fun, and it certainly gives you a different perspective on things! Not only are you upside down but in this particular pose you will also find that you are looking backwards too. In taking this pose we can feel strong and well balanced, and can be mindful of different views we can take and that others might have. It is also a pose which grows on you – gradually changing each time we come back to it, from the initial challenge to a place which feels remarkably like home.

Downward-Facing Dog pose can be intense on the arms, but can provide physical benefits including strengthening the shoulders, arms and wrists, as well as stretching the hamstrings, ankles and glutes. The core muscles in the belly get stronger and we stretch and strengthen the “lats” around the sides and back of the torso.

How to find Downward-Facing Dog pose

We get into this pose by placing the hands away from the feet, with lots of options for achieving this. We can start from Child’s pose by tucking the toes under, stretching the arms out along the mat and sending the hips up high towards the sky; we can start standing and bend the knees to lower the hands to the ground before walking either hands or feet away; we could even start in a crouch with the hands down and walk or jump the feet away backwards if we wanted. But we are aiming to end up with the feet a good distance away from the hands, and the hips up high, head down, like an inverted V-shape. The palms are flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart, the fingers splayed, middle finger facing forward and all the knuckles rooting down into the floor. Feel free to try out different distances between the feet, a wider distance may feel better for you. The weight is evenly distributed between hands and feet, and we send the shoulder-blades down the back, the shoulders moving away from the ears.

Bending the knees deeper to find the long back and upward “tail-tilt” in Downward-Facing Dog pose

In these pictures I have deliberately shown variations to illustrate that the knees do not need to be straight, and nor do the heels need to be down on the mat. Very many people have quite tight hamstrings, and if the legs are then straightened the lower back will round, which is not what this pose aims for. Try to focus instead on lengthening and straightening the back, and, as shown, it’s OK to really bend the knees and let the heels be right off the mat. Try to tilt the tailbone up to the sky and push the whole pelvis away from the hands, pushing back through the arms and sending the chest back towards the thighs. This will help strengthen the lower back, and the bent knees will avoid putting any undue pressure on the places where the hamstrings attach to the leg bones.

As you get used to this pose and find the straight back more naturally, then work towards straightening the legs more and easing the heels down towards the floor, but it doesn’t matter if that never happens – every body is unique, and some people’s hamstrings will always remain shorter than others’.

Close-up of Downward-Facing Dog pose from Full Moon yoga print by Moon Phase Studios

Other options

We can see that this pose can be quite challenging, particularly on the hands and arms, so it is always possible to substitute out Downward-Facing Dog completely for either Table-Top pose or Child’s pose.

But it might be that you just find the hands or wrists need some cushioning, and there are gel pads available to help with this. If the wrists don’t have the mobility for the hand-flat angle required here, then it is possible to use hand grips or blocks so the pose is held with gripped hands round the support, still getting the benefits from this pose, whilst keeping the wrist straight.

It is also possible to take Downward-Facing Dog standing but pushing the hands against a wall, or a sturdy chair back, instead of the floor, meaning it is not so inverted and the pressure into the arms and hands is not so intense.

If these versions of Down-Dog are not right for you, then try starting from a seated position with the feet firmly planted so the heel is below the knee. The body is held long and tall as 

you hinge forwards at the hip joint. The arms are extended in the same line as the body, working the arms and shoulders, as well as the muscles of the torso. 

Chair-based  variation of the pose.

Breathing in the pose

With such a wide open chest and upper body, it is great just to breathe deeply here. You may find that you are able to let go a bit more with each exhale, breathing out and releasing the heels or straightening the knees a tiny bit more or sending the hips a bit further up and away. You might also discover that “walking the dog” feels good. Gently bend one knee more and then bend the other as you straighten the first, literally walking through the feet to stretch the hamstrings and the Achilles tendons in the heels gradually. It can feel quite rhythmic and meditative.

Moving on

We often use Downward-Facing Dog as a place to start a sequence, or as a rest stop within one, so moving from here is useful to practice. If we bend the knees our centre of gravity changes and we can take the weight off our hands a little enabling us to walk them back towards the feet, and slowly rolling back up to standing. Take your time so you don’t get dizzy, particularly if you’ve been there for a while. Equally, from a deep bend in the knees we can take a jump, or a big step or lots of little steps, forward, bringing the feet towards the hands, and again roll up slowly to Mountain pose.

If we are mid sequence, we may well consider lifting one foot off the floor and stepping that foot forward towards the hands. From here a whole range of poses are possible, for example, coming up to Warrior I or II, taking a high lunge or lowering the back knee to a low lunge.

Another classic progression from Down Dog is to move the body and legs down towards the mat until you form the straight line from head to heels of a Plank pose. But maybe the option that is perfect for you today, is simply lowering both knees down to the ground from Downward-Facing Dog, pausing in Table-Top perhaps, or then shifting the hips back towards the heels and settling down into Child’s pose. Mmmmm – bliss! Whichever option you choose, breathe and enjoy.

Make sure you always look after yourself when doing yoga.

It’s important to always listen to your body and only work within your personal limitations. You are fully responsible for your own safety and wellbeing. Make sure your surroundings and your practices are safe. Do not attempt to take a physical posture that is outside of the scope of your practice. If you have any specific medical conditions, injuries, surgeries or are pregnant you should check with your GP or appropriate medical professional before starting any exercise. Keep in mind that yoga might be challenging at times, but it should never be painful. You must stop if you experience any pain, and you should consult your GP if you experience anything untoward such as dizziness or feeling faint. Rest or leave anything out that you need to avoid or that does not feel right.