08/21/2025
🏋️♀️Exercise Tip Thursday🏋️♀️
🐾Downward Facing Dog🐾
Entry: Enter from Downward Dog preparation or Plank.
1. Exhale, bend knees slightly, shift pelvis backwards and move into full downward facing dog.
2. Move slowly and carefully and maintain neutral alignment of your spine and TATD breath.
Exit: Inhale and return to four-point position or transition into a lunge. Alternatively, if you need to rest, transition to Childs Pose.
Alignment:
Pull shoulders and shoulder blades down and in towards the pelvis and keep arms in arm spiral so the elbows point backwards. The fingers should remain wide, and hands rooted in the floor. Legs and feet are hip width apart with arch and foot alignment maintained. Keep the legs engaged at all times.
Modifications:
Block assist: Perform with the hands on the edges of the blocks.
Perform with the hands turned out at a 45-degree angle.
Perform from the forearms.
Perform with bent knees.
Blanket assist: Perform with heels lifted from mat with blanket under them for support.
Wall assist: Hands against the wall, stretching the web space of the thumbs.
Strap assist: Bind the arms below the elbow joint just on or below the extensor muscle mass.
Precautions:
Keep knees bent and heels lifted if tight hamstrings and gluteals.
Maintain neutral alignment of spine.
Keep wrists in neutral. Do not allow elbows to hyperextend.
Do not force the pose by over-stretching the backs of the legs or the shoulders.
Start on your hands and knees. Then push up into pose.
