Downward Facing Dog - Beginners Guide, Ashtanga Yoga, David Garrigues Asana Kitchen

Mysore Foundations Online course, Sept 3-22, 2024
www.davidgarrigues.com
.
.
What if you got stranded on a desert island Robinson Cruscoe style and the universe dictated that you could only take 5 postures with you! Saying goodbye to your many asana friends would be too painful! Downward Dog would be a top candidate to make the list of 5 because can fit into almost every category of asana: inversion, forward bend, back bend, strength and flexibility building, meditative, Samasathiti-esque, accessible to all.
By accessible I mean doing Downward Dog requires less skill and knowledge than doing either Head Balance or Shoulderstand and yet Downward Dog offers many of the same benefits as these asana legends. It is also easier to do Down Dog safely than the main inversions because it doesn’t involve your neck or head to the same degree as Head Balance or Shoulderstand. Downward Dog is an excellent pose for strengthening the upper body and at the same time it is one of the best, most practical positions for creating flexibility in the shoulders. And the list of benefits continues! Dog might be the easiest pose for hollowing your belly into Uddhyana Bandha. Think of sucking your belly up into a great hollow imagine the shape of a gray hound dog’s belly. If you have tight hamstrings you can get a nice effect by going into the position with your hands on blocks that are placed at the wall. Make sure to press the heel of you hand into the front edge of the block. Remember when you do this pose as an inversion you will want to explore staying in it longer, taking your time to research your shape, breathing and bandha’s more thoroughly. This will be different the other ways that you are used to practicing it as when you do it as part of Surya Namaskara or in your vinyasa transitions. Your inversion Downward Dog work will add dimension to your understanding of the position and expand the possibilities for expression.
Written Instructional Cues for Adho Mukha Svanasana
Study the line of joints: from the ground up: wrists, elbows, shoulders, side waist, the top rim of the pelvis, and the pelvic floor. Create one continuous diagonal line through these parts of your body. You can also work in the reverse direction beginning with the pelvic floor and moving down the chain in a continuous downward sloping line ending with your wrists and hands into the earth.
Stamp the hands down into the earth to stretch back through the pelvis and thighs. Use these contrasting actions to create a long, illuminated central axis from the pelvic floor through the crown of the head.
Use staying in Downdog to develop your stamina in inversions. When your arms become tired and/or your mind falls into distraction endeavor to stay in your position, center your awareness, empty your palate, breathe freely, listen to the breath’s steady rhythmic sound.
KEYWORDS: DOWNWARD FACING DOG ADHO MUKHA SVANASASANA, ASANA KITCHEN, DAVID GARRIGUES, SIXTH POSITION, ASHTANGA YOGA, YOGA TUTORIAL SUN SALUTATIONS, SURYA NAMASKARA, INVERSION, YOGA POSE, YOGA POSTURE, ASANA, MYSORE

[@laurafriday4834]

One of my most life changing days was when I walked into David’s Philly studio. David you make all the impossible possible! And the possible impossible in the best way. Thank you.

[@ladyahani]

Wow!

[@davidgarrigues]

thank you for watching.

[@rongracilla6164]

Great analysis!! So to be clear, by saying the pelvis is neutral-is it sacrum parallel to the floor, or aligned to the spine?

[@davidgarrigues]

@@rongracilla6164 thx for your comment aligned to the spine… the sacrum is part of the spine so it’s necessary for the sacrum and lower spine to be in agreement… in fact you’re cultivating what I call a “relationship of integrity” along the whole spine… in Downward Dog you’re seeking to position the bony column so that it freely releases and expresses its 4 natural curves along the downward diagonal slope