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Downward Facing Dog: Adho Mukha Svanasana


Downward facing dog is a basic pose that is accessible to most beginners, for advanced practitioners this posture is considered a resting pose! In setting up the pose make sure your arms are shoulder distance apart and your knees are hip-distance apart, tuck your toes under and actively push your hands and feet into the mat. Straighten your legs and push your hips upwards as your back cascades downwards.

A Relaxing Yoga Positions for Beginners That Increases Stamina

There are 3 stages of advancement of reaching the full pose: straight arms, straight back and straight legs. Take each stage as a prerequisite to moving on to the next; there is no point trying to straighten your legs if your elbows are bent and your back is rounded. If you feel tired do not compromise the posture by bending your arms and hunching your shoulders forwards, instead feel free to bend your knees and allow your back to lengthen further. Push your hands down into the mat with your fingers spread apart, engage your arms by keeping them straight and squeezing your biceps closer towards your ears, consciously trying to squeeze your shoulder blades together between your upper back. You should feel an even lengthening throughout your spine, from your tailbone down to your neck. From my classes, I’ve often seen students put a lot of weight on their arms and not enough in their legs. Pay attention to pushing your thighs back which would slowly start to lengthen tight hamstrings. Feel your hips rising higher and you push deeper with your arms and your legs.

Hold the pose for 10 deep breaths, as you inhale feel your abdomen inflating out and when exhaling draw your core towards the back of your body. This technique is invigorating and gradually increases your lung capacity. With each inhalation focus on strengthening your arms and legs and with each exhalation concentrate on lengthening your back; reaching your hips higher and allowing your head to inch closer towards the floor. When you are ready to come out of the pose engage your core to slowly bend your knees down to the mat. Now that you know what to do and how to do it, respect your body and enjoy your practice!

Downward facing dog is the most known yoga pose as it is integral in vinyasa, it’s a great transition pose when flowing from one pose to the next, challenging your stamina and increasing your heart rate. If you would like an active approach your your yoga practice we offer private yoga classes in our fitness booster package which can be conducted in a one on one setting or shared between friends or family members in a group of up to 4 people.
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Location: Hong Kong

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