기본 콘텐츠로 건너뛰기

Downward-Facing Dog

Deservedly one of yoga's most widely recognized yoga poses, Adho Mukha Svanasana, offer the ultimate all-over, rejuvenating stretch.



Downward-Facing Dog: Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1
Come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Set your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. Spread your palms, index fingers parallel or slightly turned out, and turn your toes under.


Step 2
Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis. Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.

Step 3
Then with an exhalation, push your top thighs back and stretch your heels onto or down toward the floor. Straighten your knees but be sure not to lock them. Firm the outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly. Narrow the front of the pelvis.



Step 4
Firm the outer arms and press the bases of the index fingers actively into the floor. From these two points lift along your inner arms from the wrists to the tops of the shoulders. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them and draw them toward the tailbone. Keep the head between the upper arms; don't let it hang.

Step 5
Adho Mukha Svanasana is one of the poses in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence. It's also an excellent yoga asana all on its own. Stay in this pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. Then bend your knees to the floor with an exhalation and rest in Child's pose.


Pose Information

Sanskrit Name

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Pose Level

1

Contraindications and Cautions

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Diarrhea
  • Pregnancy: Do not do this pose late-term.
  • High blood pressure or headache: Support your head on a bolster or block, ears level between the arms.

Modifications and Props

To get a feel for the work of the outer arms, loop and secure a strap around your arms just above your elbows. Imagine that the strap is tightening inward, pressing the outer arms in against the bones. Against this resistance, push the inner shoulder blades outward.

Deepen the Pose

To increase the stretch in the backs of your legs, lift slightly up onto the balls of your feet, pulling your heels a half-inch or so away from the floor. Then draw your inner groins deep into the pelvis, lifting actively from the inner heels. Finally, from the height of the groins, lengthen the heels back onto the floor, moving the outer heels faster than the inner.




댓글

댓글 쓰기

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

Yoga exercise for digestion, Noose Pose

In the noose pose, the arms are wrapped around the squatting legs and the hands are clasped behind the back, forming a "noose." This position, suitable for intermediate and advanced students, is described in the Full Pose section below. First we'll look at a simpler version of this twist, using the wall as a prop. Noose Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions Step 1 Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) next to a wall with your feet hip-width and parallel to each other. Ideally, you will stand forearm distance from the wall. So, as you stand in Tadasana with the wall on your right side, turn to the right and press your right palm into the wall-from wrist to elbow, your forearm should be parallel to the ground. Adjust your distance to the wall accordingly and turn your torso back to center. Step 2 Bend your knees into a full squat, with your buttocks sitting on your heels. If you're not able to get the heels fully on the floor, squat with the heels raised o...
댓글 쓰기
자세한 내용 보기

Yoga exercise for lower back pain. Knees to chest with slow rock pose

Yoga exercise for lower back pain. Knees to chest with slow rock pose The knee to chest pose is a classical yoga asana with therapeutic benefits for lower back pain. When coupled up with a slow rock either side to side or back and forth, it offers a gentle massage to the lower back that helps relieve pain. It also stabilizes and aligns the spine as your release the weight of your body to the ground. Furthermore, it massages the abdominal organs promoting digestion and detoxification – constipation can worsen lower back pain How it to do it Lie on your back with legs extended forward. Draw your knees towards your chest. Interlace your fingers and firmly rest them on your shins, to nudge the knees nearer to your chest. This allows your upper and middle back to ground down and for a deep stretch on the lower back. Hold for 5-10 breaths. Modifications For added comfort, you may place a thin blanket under your neck or ...
댓글 쓰기
자세한 내용 보기

Strengthens the arms and wrists. Side Crane (Crow) Pose

The key to Parsva Bakasana is twisting enough to place the outer edge of one upper arm far around the outside of the opposite thigh. Side Crane (Crow) Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions Step 1 Bend your knees to a half-squat, thighs parallel to the floor. If your heels don't rest comfortably on the floor, support them on a thickly folded blanket. Take your left elbow to the outside of your right thigh as you soften your belly. Step 2 Exhaling, twist your torso to the right, bringing your left lower ribs across toward your right thigh as far as you can. Step 3 Slide the back of your left arm down the outside of the right thigh, bringing your outer armpit as close to the outer thigh as you can. Keeping the arm in place, do a slight back bend and draw your right shoulder back to twist your torso more deeply. Step 4 Exhaling each time, repeat these alternating backbending and twisting movements until you reach your maximum rotation. Then slide you...
댓글 쓰기
자세한 내용 보기