Yoga Tutorial | Downward Facing Dog | How To Find Your Perfect Alignment

In this tutorial we show you how to find your perfect (Ashtanga) alignment for Downward Facing Dog, modifications and the correct technique to avoid injuries.
Check out our other videos for more tutorials and classes. Want tips on a pose we haven't created a video for yet? Let us know in the comments and we'll make a tutorial about it.
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Disclaimer: David & Jelena Yoga LLC strongly recommends that you consult with your physician before beginning any exercise program. You should be in good physical condition and be able to participate in the exercise. You should understand that when participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself, and agree to release and discharge

[@hopi9761]

Love their body language and energy together ❤

[@LgBadluck]

These youtube clips are great, please keep doing more: details and alignment cues for other postures! :)

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

Yes, absolutely - more tutorials coming soon :)

[@strongsyedaa7378]

How to Doming In Downward Dog Yoga

[@RootsEcho]

Apparently there's a significant, almost fundamental difference between ashtanga and vinyasa, when it comes to downward facing dog. I was taught to keep my shoulders away from my ears (depressed) but come to tink of it, I may have misinterpreted the que for rotating my upper arms out, and my sitting bones as much up as possible. Keeping my ribs 'unpopped is a personal struggle (you know, along with tipping the pelvis forward arching-in the lower back)and I'm actually doing a quick round on youtube to study down dog a bit more. I have found knowledge, new takes, and insights, thank you for yours.

[@djstansfield3941]

Thank you. Beautifully explained!

[@markricca5296]

Love this! 🥰 So many insights yoga teachers rarely share.

[@augustacosoveanu6361]

Excellent explanation. Much appreciated.

[@bonjourmansee]

Absolutely loved the explanation. I hope I’ll be able to put it in good use during my practice.

[@racheltannenbaum6177]

Your videos are so helpful! Thank you!!

[@alli_bartlett]

So nice to see so many videos from you two here on KZbin

[@tinayeh491]

Thanks for your sharing !!

[@martinbrenner6664]

Excellent instruction, very good and helpful.

[@MsKarate214]

Thanks. Great tutorial!

[@lineberntsen1489]

thank you for sharing this🙏⭐

[@joanbaker5637]

Great and detailed information. Thank you so much

[@braunalbalawi]

So helpful. Thank you

[@michalicgil]

You're amazing. It helps my training so much🙏

[@johngrattan302]

A very thorough and concise explanation! Thank You👍

[@samanthaleigh3971]

Love you guys!!

[@izabelapszeniczko6004]

Super clip! Love learning from you!

[@pamelam2911]

These tutorials are so incredibly helpful. The length of time I can practice (and over the long haul) has increased thanks to corrected form. Thank YOU both!

[@soniadias8848]

Thank you very much.

[@ashleyrussell9009]

1:44 in and I already learned more about this pose than in two years of searching for info on this pose. THANK YOU

[@birgitschonauer9893]

I love Your Tutorials. Help me so much in my Home-practice

[@alli9193]

Very good, enjoyed your vid!! Thankyou!!

[@babak4177]

perfect thank you

[@rosacomella5122]

Found your videos by chance, as a swimmer looking to relieve pressure and elongate my streamline… and found super clear guidance and sheer joy! Looking forward to them all. So grateful!

[@hollymay8840]

Thank you!

[@ahujakishori5618]

Great content by great masters. Very helpful for beginners. Thanks a lot 🙏

[@churbichurbi]

your channel is top quality, seriously

[@judskiiii]

Thank you so much ❤

[@hernanalbo2722]

Thanks!😍

[@meetakhanchandani3359]

Well explained ... thanks

[@victoriamartinpognante898]

This is awesome!

[@luciasuaya2456]

Thank you so much for this!! I find there's little attention to the basic asanas and instead the general focus is on the more complicated or visually beautiful ones. This is great! I wonder if you could do a tutorial on triangle pose, I always struggle a bit in it. Namaste 🙏

[@lauriesauth5186]

I just noticed that you guys have your own channel‼ This is SO beyond helpful🌹. Thank you so much for these incredible tutorials--they help me beyond measure🙏🏻💞

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

Glad that you found us. We're fairly new here so keep an eye out - lots more to come soon!

[@filthyprimary]

Love all your videos, I watch your half primary daily. Thank you for all the great tips and doing so in such a friendly way!

[@maricarmenweiss1561]

Thank you!!. A very good explanation for the technics of Adhomuka Svanasana. NAMASKAR 🙏

[@judithmartinez-cx4by]

Muchas gracias:) 🙏🏼

[@Nae641]

Definitely did this not in alignment. Didn’t knew about the hollow in the tummy and always thinking how far apart the hand and legs are. So now I know and gives me real inspiration and joy to keep practicing in the right and wholesome way.

[@onyinyechichukwuma689]

I lie not, this is the best video on Downward Facing Dog I have seen! Many thanks. 😁

[@valeriadacosta5973]

Top.thank you so much

[@Nina_thefox]

I would love to see Trikonasana. Its the pose I always struggle with. I never feels right in my lower back...

[@gloryliu807]

Jelena is always looking at David with love 😚. Ive learned a lot from them. ESPECIALLY HEADSTAND I finally got the point from her pose and did it sucessfully ☺

[@cbeyea]

Thank you so much for this tutorial. I only started doing yoga 3 months ago and have made majour improvements in those 3 months. But my downward dog was always been horrible and had no idea on how to properly get into the pose. In just one watching of this video and my downward dog finally looks like a downward dog. Thanks so much.

[@amyomaley8168]

Thank you this Helps So Much!! Love your Way of Explaining poses So Helpful, Love you Two❤❤

[@judithkkazmierczak4173]

Thank you! Tutorials are very helpful. You guys are so awesome!

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

You're so welcome :) Thanks for watching!

[@apereirafernandez]

loved this video thank you!!!

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

Glad you liked it!!

[@haplesson2]

Please keep posting! Would love to see a post on using the count integrated with breath and movement in standing poses. How to move, flow in and out of pose with economy of movement

[@karenhambleton8953]

I really appreciate your time and precise instruction. ❤

[@shantitanna8033]

I always have had difficulty with down dog , yet could find anyone to help me learn properly, always have too much stress in shoulder girdle , I am going to follow your instructions and hopefully do it properly. Thanks a lot. Pl teach us shoulder stand the correct way

[@marinavasilyeva9262]

Thanks for this video!

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

Glad it was helpful!

[@phuong2776]

woww this is so new and very helpful. Thank you so much!

[@chelsead.9974]

I was having horrible shoulder pain from doing this pose and I couldn't figure out why. I actually quit practicing for about a month. The "shoulders down" really bothered me and I also now realize that I was too narrow. I am going to pick it back up today with these tips. Thank you so much!

[@farahadeb-242]

while im designing my first class i use your vedio to focus on the movment love u

[@c.a.2442]

Love u both ❤

[@covingtoncreek]

I like your attitudes and careful explanation. I'm mostly into calisthenics but I think I have a ton to learn from yoga and gymnastics as well. Liked and subscribed. I have a lot of difficulty with shoulder extension and use this pose in part for that.

[@southlander9609]

So helpful, feel like is one of the most popular/basic asana but hard to perform well and a lot of things going on in this asana :) Thank you so much for the work that u are putting in, i practice ashtanga by my own 5 times a week following your 30min ashtanga video and once in the shala 🙏🏼

[@Qamarain]

Gooooosh i thought there is something wrong with my down dog coz I started to have that sacrum bump (and that’s actually started to be appearing with my Ashtanga practice ) thank u for this point ❤️ love ur tutorials

[@tonnica77]

I love your tutorials 😘. Please keep posting 👍🙏

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

We will! Thanks for watching and commenting :)

[@chrisalecia891]

Please do a video for the Ashtanga practitioner in their 50's and 60's (and beyond) specifically flexibilty, aging joints, mobility, etc.

[@sami1523]

thank you so much.

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

You're welcome! :)

[@marctremblay4532]

I just love you. So much infos. I watch your videos before teaching myself lolll

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

Amazing! Thanks for watching and commenting :)

[@madhulikasajith9005]

Really helpful tips for this pose. My shoulders would ache in this pose (especially holding for 5 breaths). After seeing this and externally rotating the arms, then engaging the pelvic floor and getting into slight posterior tilt to push weight to the legs helped release the tension in the shoulders. Thanks a ton!!!

[@nicakrebs6777]

Sorry guys, I already subscribed. Thank you both for your tutorials - they help a lot, especially with my home practice. Keep going!

[@taeyin2841]

Thank you so much! Great and very helpful as always. Could you please do a tutorial on Setu Bandhasana?

[@zuzanaravasova2397]

Great video!!! I never know whether my downward dog is good enough but this video gave me so much reassurance that I'm heading the right direction ❤️

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

Great to hear! :)

[@marctremblay4532]

If ever, I would lofe to see a video on a basic posture. The cobra pose. I know easy but I found it one of the must uncomfortable one.

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

Hi Marc, We've just added one for upward dog - check it out! It' will be all the same work as for cobra pose :)

[@strongsyedaa7378]

YOU are great 👍

[@vivilyn76]

More tutorial videos please…I’m planning to take yoga teacher’s training next year… so these videos is a big help…☺️❤️

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

More to come! :)

[@prana8660]

Gracias 🙏🏻

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

Our pleasure :)

[@cathcrops]

Thank you

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

You're so welcome! :)

[@kristendawson273]

Thank you for the specific alignments. Helps me so much. Any tricks for keeping the hands from slipping forward in downward dog? Mine always do no matter the mat or ground surface.....

[@krishnameghwal1357]

Namaste 🙏🏻

[@juju0625]

Thank you for the tutorial! How do you stop your hands from slipping?

[@Ir_Is555]

Love love love all your tutorials and IG videos. Could you do a tutorial on back bends wether standing or standing on knees? Thank you!!

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

Yes, absolutely - we'll add a tutorial on that soon :) Thanks for the suggestion!

[@belindafrost8047]

A very helpful video with great explanantions, thank you. Is chataraunga the same positioning as plank? As in hand and feet placement?

[@bibieshuk5247]

i always failed in my downward dog but this video really fully help me to correcting my alignment & the content very details . tq very2 much 🙌 witing next tips/tutorial 💪

[@kiranshetty837]

Love your way of teaching. In such a short clip of a tutorial you both nailed the most significant aspects and the inclusion of bandhas 😅 thank you so much.i see some people arching their spine and they say it feels good but I understand that arching is a no-no, so wanted to check in with you the reason and if it's harmful or just depends on the body shape.....thank you again!

[@azurepeace]

111th comment on the 11/11 new moon weekend. Thank you for teaching this in such a succinct and precise way. Subscribed

[@KenSmith-bv4si]

I thought I had a lot of Liforme yoga mats(9) then I see youse guys have two walls of them, nice.

[@g.a.m9694]

Commenting. :) Can there be a video of picking up things with yoga ques to protect your hips, lower back and wrists. Some practical yoga cues used in movements in construction work or farming or even sitting in a car!! There are p.t. and o.t. videos yes, but theyre not necessarily learned in yoga lingo. Thank you for your work.

[@jitendrapurohit4227]

Here's perfect jodi for learning ashtanga.

[@ellenmeilee]

Please could you talk about diet and lifestyle to help your practice? And whether you ever have days you don’t want to practice and how you motivate yourselves…and patience after injury.

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

Thank you for the suggestions - we'll add these to our list for upcoming videos :)

[@situamy2937]

love it as usual, thank you very much, could you two please do a tutorial supta kurmasana

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

Yes, absolutely - we'll add a tutorial on that soon :) Thanks for the suggestion!

[@alexahardy2828]

Im curious. Why is it safe to round the lower back in down dog but not other positions such as a seated forward fold? Thanks! These videos have helped me so much!

[@strongsyedaa7378]

Handstand Yoga 🧘‍♂️

[@madeleinepoirier6675]

Have you done a tutorial about malasana?

[@fabienneyoga818]

Wonderfull ! Je ne parle pas assez bien l’anglais pour tout comprendre … bientôt en langue française ? Perhaps ? Thank you so much 🙏🏼

[@RenataFevzieva]

Thanks a lot, jealous to people who can practice in your Yoga Shala, do you plan to have same tutorial for Navasana?

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

Yes - we actually have one filmed already for Navasana. It will be posted in the next few weeks so stay tuned :)

[@arnsb]

Namaste 🙏🏻 I personally, find this to be a very active pose where I'm rooting with my feet, pushing through my hands, engaging the bandhas...:) but, I also tend to curve my lower back being flexible just aggravates it and would really appreciate if you can suggest some cues on how to overcome it :)

[@user-mj7nx1co2j]

Can you do a tutorial on pincha.

[@user-mj7nx1co2j]

Can you do a tutorial for pincha

[@yogagirlsaba978]

Can you guide about the wrist position/alignment as sometimes it gets painful or uncomfortable in downdog. Thank you

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

Hi! :) We have a tutorial on keeping the wrists healthy here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3y9epmsgcl_r5I

[@finnie]

how about the Drishti for this move please?

[@colleencarone8650]

Any additional recommendations / modifications for protecting wrists, easing weight, helping you hold downward dog without wrist fatigue, injury, such as for seniors or heavy or newbies, please? Thanks!

[@DavidandJelenaYoga]

Hi Colleen, have you seen our tutorial on happy wrists? Click this link to check it out :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3y9epmsgcl_r5I

[@milapopovich6819]

❤

[@ellenmeilee]

I’ve been doing ashtanga for a few years now and my teacher is a senior instructor and amazing…he does allow modifications in order to accommodate his students’ various needs so it is really good to refresh on what are the conditions of the asanas. He used to be very hardcore fundamentalist but I think this must mellow with age…And you’re both not there yet 😃

[@gurlcatrider]

I came here looking for an explanation why my shoulder blades and traps are constantly in spasm. My yoga teachers do a lot of downward dogs, but they are large classes and nobody gets personal feedback, and I have come to the conclusion that the reason for all my muscle spasms and pain is because I am doing it wrong! Thank you for the Insights

[@j0973]

Can this alignment be used in Hatha yoga

[@christianbarranon]

Hello .. how to reach yoga nidrasana plis . Thanks

[@g.a.m9694]

Are we supposed to walk around doing uddyana Bandha all the time?