My book is telling me to do a downfacing dog, with my heels steadily to the floor, and my legs and arms straight. I find it very difficult to do this, as my calves feel like they are stretching too much.
In my yoga class, I don’t remember having to push my heels to the ground, and i found it a lot easier. Is it necesarry to push your heels to the ground? Or is there something else i could do to make it easier, such as bending my knees?
thank you
Yep, bending your knees will allow your heels to reach the ground and will also release your back. Once you’re in that position, if you feel like it, you can try gently straightening the knees a little and lifting tailbone to the ceiling.
Another thing you can try in down dog is bending one knee at a time, allowing that heel to touch the floor, then slowly swapping, almost like you’re making a cycling motion. I find that a lovely warm-up and slow flowing motion which gets me into my body and, again, releases the back nicely.
But, ultimately, as you’ve found in class, you don’t have to get your heels to the ground.
Hi Princess,
I’ll give you a concept from asana (postures) rather than a specific.
There is a full expression of the posture and this is one we are moving toward in our practice. We may get there but likely we will not. It is the striving that is most important and the subsequent learning about ourselves through that process.
Then there is the posture I can do today, in my current mood, with my current calves, current diet, current thoughts, current rest. The book you mention is likely “instructing” the former. And this is one of the challenges with learning asana through a book. The book cannot see you and thus cannot modify the instructions for where you are at this moment.
While the full expression of the posture you mention does have the heels on the floor and this is an appropriate thing to work toward, if they don’t go there now they should absolutely not be forced.
You do not have to push your heels to the ground - in fact, that’s overworking your muscles and will result in pulling a muscle. Just do the downward dog and lower you heels [I]as much as you can.[/I] You’ll still feel a stretch in your calf muscle but it won’t be bad. In time, if you continue to do this, you’ll be able to lower you heels to the ground. All you have to do is work your way up to it.
alright, thanks so much everyone… now i will be able to do this pose right 
I like ‘walking the dog’ - alternately walking each heel to the ground. You suddenly get them an inch closer to the floor without it being a strain, also raising one leg at a time then bringing it back down, that seems to get the heel slightly closer to the floor too
Good suggestions. Any asana you do is practicing. You will eventually get your heals to the floor by following the advice given. It will take time but one day - voila you are there
i’m getting closer, thanks barefoot mama, i tried doing that i think it’s helping 