Downward Dog: Spinal Alignment

We have come to one of my favorite lessons I offer each year, a mini-course on the alignment and nuances of downward facing dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana. I look forward to teaching this series because downward facing dog is one of those postures that many teachers assume their students know how to do, the pose is rarely taught in public yoga classes, students are just expected to know how to align the body in this pose which requires open hamstrings, flexible but strong shoulders and knowledge of our own postural habits.

This time I will split the course into three weeks of classes, spinal, shoulder, and pelvic and leg alignment. For our first session, we will work with core position and strength which will help us learn to feel when the spine is neutral, arched like in cow, or rounded like in cat. This is doubly helpful in down dog because it helps hyper-mobile people to prevent overarching the spine and hyper-flexion of the shoulders. For those with less flexible bodies, this proprioceptive sense of neutral encourages the lengthening of the lower abdomen and extension of the upper thoracic so that the spine creates one half of the inverted V that makes up downward facing dog. 

watch video

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Paschima Mudra
Back of the Body

Right Hand: Touch tips of thumb, middle and pinkie fingers together, extend all others.
Left Hand: Touch tips of thumb and ring fingers together, extend all others. Rest with palms up.
Benefits: Directs breath into the spine and back body
How it Works: The masculine right hand joins thumb (fire) to middle finger (space) and ring finger (water) to bring lubrication to inter-vertebral discs. The feminine left hand joins thumb (fire) to ring finger (earth) to bring awareness to the stability and alignment of the spine.
Practice Tips: Use with all kinds of back pain
Contraindications: Headache

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Seated Cat/Cow

​Place hands on knees. 
Cow:  Inhale, press tail bone back towards chair and lift chest drawing shoulders back.
​Cat:  Exhale, round back and press tail bone forward, pressing navel towards spine. Repeat 5 times with the breath, be sure to come to center between repetitions.
Therapeutics: Improves spinal flexion and extension

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Alternate Leg Lifts

Lay on back with knees bent and feet on floor. Keep the abdominal muscles contracted and the lower back imprinted into floor the entire time you are performing this exercise.  
Variation I:  Exhale and extend left leg straight and hold it a few inches above floor, inhale and release, repeat 10 times with the breath, alternating sides.
Variation II:  Repeat as you extend the opposite arm over head, inhale and release. Repeat 10 times with the breath, alternating sides.
Benefits: Strengthens lower abdominal muscles

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Bird Dog

Begin on all fours.
Variation I:  Take right leg back with toes turned under. Reach left arm forward with fingertips on floor. Hold for 5 breaths, then release and change sides. 
Variation II:  Inhale and extend right leg back and raise left arm forward keeping limbs parallel to floor. Engage belly and look at the floor. Exhale and release to all fours. Hold for 5 breaths, then release and change sides. 
Therapeutics: Builds postural strength diagonally across the back body.

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Locust Pose with Alternate Leg Lifts
Eka Pada Salabhasana

Variation I:  Lie on belly with arms to sides. Press pubic bone into floor and lengthen legs behind you. Inhale and raise left leg and right arm off floor, keeping pelvis grounded. Exhale and release. Repeat to both sides 10 times with the breath.
Variation II:  Lie on belly with arms to sides. Press pubic bone into floor and lengthen legs behind you. Inhale and press palms towards ceiling as you lift legs away from floor.  Hold 5 breaths and release. 
Benefits:  Strengthens lower back and spinal muscles

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Downward Dog Flow
Adho Mukha Svanasana Vinyasa

Begin on Table Pose with the hands under the shoulders and knees under hips. Point the toes.
Exhale back into Child's Pose keeping the hands planted and the shoulders drawn wide and down the back.
Inhale into Cobra by swinging the hips forward and slightly bending the elbows towards the hips, lift the heart forward as the pelvis releases towards the floor.
Exhale back into Child's Pose keeping the hands planted and the shoulders drawn wide and down the back.
Inhale into Table Pose.
Exhale into Downward Facing Dog by turning the toes under and lifting the kness off the floor. Reach the hips back and keep the shoulders wide and drawn down the back. Bend the knees if the back is rounded.
Inhale into Table Pose to finish the sequence.
Repeat 3-5 times with the breath
Therapeutics: Strengthens the shoulders and builds awareness of spinal alignment.

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Downward Facing Dog at Wall
Adho Mukha Svanasana at Wall

Stand facing a wall and place hand at chest height with fingers facing upwards. Step feet back and press hips back over heels, keep shoulders broad and arms externally rotated, do not let head drop below arms. Draw belly in as you ground the thighs and pubic bone back. Hold 5-10 breaths, then walk forward to release back to standing.
Therapeutics: Stretches shoulders and hamstrings, strengthens core

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Wall Hang Standing Forward Bend
Wall Hang Uttanasana

Stand with hips on wall and feet several inches away from wall, hips width apart. Bend knees and hinge from hips as you release spine forward over thighs. Press feet into floor and sit bones into wall. Hold 5-10 breaths, then bring hands to knees and lift neutral spine back up to standing.
Therapeutics​: Releases back body 

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Bridge Flow
Setu Bandha Vinyasa

Begin lying on the back with the knees bent and feet on the floor. Inhale arch to lower back off the floor and raise the arms overhead. Exhale draw belly in and press lower back into the floor as you bring arms down to sides. Inhale lift hips straight off floor into Bridge Pose and raise arms overhead. Exhale release hips to floor as you bring arms down to sides right knee to chest.  Repeat 5 times
Therapeutics: Stretches the hips, low back and shoulders

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Reclining Supported Twist
Salamba Jathara Parivartanasana

Lie on back with knees bent and feet on floor. Shift hips to the left a few inches from center. Draw the knees into the chest and release legs to the bolster on the right. You may use right hand to hold down outside of left knee. Reach left arm back to floor and turn head to the center or to the right.
Hold for 1-3 minutes, then bend knees and draw them up to center, change sides. 
Therapeutics: Broadens back of pelvis, stretches outside of legs, gently compresses the abdominal organs ​

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Relaxation Pose on Rolled Blanket
Savasana on Rolled Blanket

Roll a blanket up so that it is as long as the entire head and torso. Sit on one end of the roll and lay back so that it aligns in the center of the spine. Rest the head on the other end and roll a bit of blanket under the head for greater support if needed. Separate the legs for balance and rest the arms on the floor with the palms facing upwards.
Therapeutics: Increases proprioception of center, gently relaxes the body and nervous system.

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