Versions of Downward Dog for Almost Everyone
Get that hip hinge
Adho Mukha Svanasana, a.k.a. Downward Dog pose is a mutt of sorts: it’s part forward bend, part inversion, part stretch, and part strengthening pose. Many yoga poses have this blend of benefits, but I have to say, Downward Dog is one of my all-time favorites; it’s invigorating, relaxing, and strengthening all at the same time.
I know that not everyone loves this pose for a variety of reasons but I firmly believe that there is a version of Downward Dog for almost everyone. Let’s get creative and find a variation that feels great to you. Traditional alignments are great for protecting us from injury, but we can also safely wiggle outside of the rigid guidelines of alignment because everyone’s body is different and some variation in alignment is beneficial for the body and brain. There really is no one size fits all alignment most of the time, but there are general principles for positioning our bodies safely and comfortably — that’s what this post is all about.
There is one thing that I will suggest everyone focus on as they practice this pose: the hinge in the hip that allows us to lengthen the spine. You might wonder about all the other details, like how far apart the feet should be from one another, how far the feet should be from the hands, and what to do in the shoulder area but I normally bring attention first to that hinge in the hips is the main fulcrum of movement in most forward bending poses. I’ll touch upon those details and also some ways to warm up into the pose. Here’s a little video to guide you through some ways to play with Downward Dog.
Now I’ll zoom in on what that hinge in the hip looks like and how we can make sure we’re doing it! That hip hinge comes from that motion you do every time you go from cat to cow pose. Try it now: tuck your pelvis, then tilt it. Do it a few times. Got it? That’s just one ingredient to a strong Downward Dog, but it’s a very important one; what your arms and legs do is secondary. Here’s some video guidance on how cat cow can help us learn to hinge at the hip in Downward Dog.
Free to bend the knees and the elbows
When you first come into Downward Dog, it can feel really good to bend the knees a little bit. In fact, it might feel really good to bend your knees the entire time. Try it. Notice also that bending your knees might make that hip hinge a little easier. This is great for people with tight hamstrings or low back issues. On the other hand, if you’re hyper flexible, you won’t necessarily need to bend the knees.
Either way, try it! Here’s a little short video on how bending the knees in Downward Dog can change your experience of it. Not to mention that bending the knees — whether you bend them both simultaneously or bend one at a time and kind of peddle your heels alternately — helps you release rigidity in the legs and back.
What about the elbows? Another cue I use in helping yogis find lightness in their Downward Dog is pushing their hands into the ground. If you try it, you’ll notice that it actually helps you lengthen your spine up and reach the hips skyward more. If you feel like your weight is crashing into your wrists and hands, try pressing your palms firmly into the ground. It can be especially nice to bend the elbows first, then slowly straighten them as you push your hands into the ground and the hips up toward the sky. Check out the first video above (the one about Downward Dog) and see the part towards the end where I guide you through a round of Downward Dog while bending and then straightening the elbows.
It’s little movements like these that make me want to find another term for asana besides ‘yoga pose.’ It’s not about posing; it’s about inhabiting our bodies in a balanced way, with awareness and respect for what feels right, no matter what we look like. Luckily, there are no alignment laws.
My fellow Substack writer, Ashley Zuberi put it so well in an article she wrote called How to Advance Your Asana Practice, According to the Yoga Sutra:
“Asana is a mindset.
When performing physical postures, the yoga pose becomes yoga asana when you find your seat. When you can dwell or abide in a posture while integrating the breath with focused awareness, suddenly yoga posture becomes more than just performing a pose for its aesthetics. Yoga asana is an exploration of the interrelated effects of the physical on the energetic, the energetic on the physical; the physical on the mental, the mental on the physical; the energetic on the mental, the mental on the energetic; and so on.
In this way, Asana is inherently about alignment. Not the alignment of muscles and bones, as is commonly referred to in modern asana practice, but rather, the alignment of the physical, energetic, and mental layers of the body.
Taking your seat in a posture is about aligning body, breath, and mind. Getting to the place where one can align all three requires proper body alignment. But getting the body into its proper place is a prerequisite for asana, not the purpose of asana.”
So go ahead and bend your knees and elbows to your heart’s content; wiggle your booty and shake your head yes and no while you’re in your Downward Dog. If I were to put forth one law of yoga alignment, it would be that whatever alignment you have in a pose should strike a balance between feeling good and feeling challenging.
Gravity and props
Alright, let’s shake things up a little and play with gravity. The way the Earth pulls on us in each pose might be something we can’t escape, but we can keep the same body shape while we change our orientation to the ground. You’ll see how much this changes our experience.
For instance, you can try the following experiment (experiment?? Well, I have heard some call yoga a science…):
Do a supported Downward Dog at the table or the wall and there will be much less weight on the hands.
Next, you can try Dandasana (Staff Pose) with the arms raised up overhead. This can be done away from the wall or with the wall supporting the back. Don’t forget to put a little cushion or block under the hips if you tend to collapse backwards in this one.
Or you can have the legs up the wall or raised upward without the support of the wall. Stretch your arms overhead and you have the same shape, but one that requires more core strength.
of course this isn’t really Reclined Downward Dog - it’s actually Viparita Karani, but you can see how, if we decided to have a pose called Lazy Dog, this could be it:)
Here’s an old post of mine that shows the first two variations I mentioned above.
What’s the point of all this? Working with one pose (a.k.a. body shape) with different orientations to gravity can give you a fresh perspective on a pose; you’ll stretch different areas and engage or strengthen others each time you reposition the body in relation to the ground. Plus, it’s fun! Let’s not get stuck in a rut and just practice only what’s familiar to our bodies. It’s so beneficial for the body and the brain to get some variety of movement and it humbles us when we try things that don’t come automatically.
Oh yes, and one of the variations I mentioned in the first video above is Dolphin Pose. It’s a great way to practice something very similar to Downward Dog when you don’t want to put weight on your hands and wrists.
To complement this variation of Downward Dog, I highly recommend this very playful, uplifting poem about Dolphin Pose by my fellow Substack writer,
!
Wiggle and walk your dog
Okay, now let’s play. Some of you may know that I also teach kids yoga, so here’s another old post where I share a fun variation of walking around in your Downward Dog. This is definitely a great way to warm up the body and avoid getting rigid and tense the way you might when you hold the pose. Also you might even get your heart rate up a little!
One of the great advantages of walking your dog is that you can practice it with your kids (most kids love it)! It’s also a great variation if you have a little one that likes to treat you like a jungle gym:)
I hope this post has given you some inspiration to experiment and play with your yoga postures. Please know that what feels good and right today might not be the case on another day. That’s why it’s great to have variations of a posture that you can turn to when you just feel that you need something a little different than your norm.
For those of you that have been with me for awhile now, thanks for staying on board through these past few random months. I know I’ve veered from my more structured, predictable posting — the summer has been chaotic! Once both my kids are back in school, I’ll resume a pattern of posting that brings all aspects of yoga to you in an interesting, user-friendly way. Speaking of which, if there’s any topic or issue you’d like me to address, please reach out by commenting or you can message me directly.