Downward dog help

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#7

Hey everyone,
Thanks for all of the great input! I will start to incorporate the other poses into my yoga exercise routine and I will shift my focus to getting my legs stretched instead of having my feet flat on the ground. I am excited to get my downward dog into much better form :slight_smile:

As for now I get into the position, it is always in a sun salutation or vinyasa sequence. I do a video, so it just takes you through each pose. (That might be lame but I am not skilled enough to do it on my own yet.)

Thanks again for all of the input!!

#8

Hmmm, I have some adjustments to make as well. Good thread!

#9

So I had my boyfriend try and help me with my downward dog. I think that one of my big issues is that my hips and lumbar back are not flexible. I have a realllllly hard time getting my back flat. Do you know of any poses that can help strengthen my back and also poses that can help with hip flexibility? Or are these things that will just come with time as I practice my downward dog?
He mentioned that the “hinge” of my body is in my lower back, making it rounded as I try and do downward dog, where as in the pictures of other people the “hinge” is in the hips. Is this something that I can work on?

#10

Aaronitron,

Try a greater distance between your hands and feet. Just walk the hands away, toward the short end of your mat. See if that helps.

A question. Do you have difficulty getting your heel down in Virabhadrasana I (warrior I)? If so, tight calves could be part of the problem. If that is the case, you can try a wonderful stretch called “cat pulling its tail” which will stretch the hams and calves. Lay on you side and come up onto your forearm, supporting your head with your hand. Do not collapse through the shoulder area. Bring your top leg out in front so it forms a right angle with the bottom leg. The top leg should be in line with your hips. Place the sole of that foot on the floor. Bend the bottom leg knee and grab hold of the foot and bring it as close to the mat and your bottom buttock as possible. This is also a good quad stretch. The most intense stretch should be felt in the top leg hams and calf muscles. Hold for at least 1 minute. Repeat other side.

A rounded lower back is typically caused by tight hams and/or calf muscles. Take it slowly, little baby steps. Over time, as those muscles lenghten your down dog should improve.

As far as poses for hip flexibility:
Cat/cow
Baddha Konasana
Supta Padangusthasana
Trikonasana
Ananda Balasana
Lunges (holding them for several breaths)
Eka Pada Rajakapotanasana
Upavistha konasana and Urdhva Upavistha Konasana
Gomukhasana
Garudasana

And as DoYogaWithMe stated, Dhandasana will help with proper alignment of spine.

You can test your hamstring flexibility by laying on back with knees bent. Extend one leg at a time. Raised leg should be perpendicular to ceiling without the knee bending. If it is not perpendicular and/or the knee bent, you need to work on hamstring flexibility. If that is the case, start with milder stretches like prasarita padottanasana (standing wide leg forward bend) and if you need, place head or hands on a block for support. Janu Sirsasana and Utthita Parsvottanasana are also good hamstring stretches.

Hope this helps.

#11

[QUOTE=lotusgirl;58667]Try a greater distance between your hands and feet. Just walk the hands away, toward the short end of your mat. See if that helps.[/QUOTE]
I agree 100%

This is where I was going to go with my original response once my question was answered.

In my opinion, for many men, it’s not an issue of tight hamstrings but more of an issue of upper back and shoulder muscle tension and weakness.

For YEARS I have been told I have tight hamstrings based upon my downward facing dog. Thing is, they’re fine in other poses. I finally realized my biggest issue is that I collapse into my shoulders instead of elongating. It’s clear from your picture that you’re doing the same.

Aaron, try standing straight up. Now raise your hands towards the ceiling, locking your elbows, but keep your shoulders relaxed. Keeping that position, try and move your arm back behind you. Feel the pinch in your shoulder? Keep that same position but now move your back muscles so that your shoulders stay relaxed away from the ears but you reach higher towards the ceiling. NOW move your arms back behind you. Feel the extra range of motion and lack of pinch in the shoulder?

Take that same feeling in your body and do it in downward facing dog with a slightly wider stance and bend your knees if that helps, it’ll feel like you’re pushing away from your hands. If you’re like me, not only will it help with what you’re asking about, but as you increase the strength of those muscles so you can push away more, it’ll let you slowly bring your heels back to the floor.

#12

Hi Aaron,

You’ve got quite a bit of feedback going on here in this thread for your practice.
I have found that for most beginning students too much can be too much. It is for that reason, for the purposes of integration and simplicity that I focus with beginners on three things.

What I would suggest, and you are welcome to take it or leave it, is to transform your focus. Shift it away from the “heels to the floor” intention you had (for now) and instead work the line of the spine. In order to do this with the bod you are currently inhabiting, you will need to bend your knees. So this is point one. Bend your knees.

The second thing is two parts; press the front of your mat away from the back wall (as you are in the photo) and use that rooting to recoil your sitting bones into the top of the back wall.

The final component (for now) is to use the breath and allow the rounded portion of the thoracic spine to release/drop/relax into the body toward the skin of the front body.

In the meantime it would be helpful to direct some of your practice to opening the hamstrings, noting some poses deliver hamstring opening while others require it. I personally prefer Supta Padangusthasana and you’ll likely need a strap (and perhaps a teacher).

While I try not to disagree with the poobah of the forum above me, collapse in the shoulders leaves a hollow not a bump and that is not what I see in your photo. As for hamstring opening in other poses I can’t reply to that as said poses have not been mentioned:-)

gordon

#13

So I have been working on my downward dog. By having a better focus I think that I’m already seeing a lot of improvement!! But I’d love to hear what you all have to say? Am I looking better or are there still things that I haven’t addressed yet?

PS: I can take a better picture if that would help too, since you can’t actually see my hands/feet and that might be important.

#14

Hi Aaron,

Would you like to walk us through the changes you made? And is it possible to provide a picture looking back on your body from in front of your head?

#15

Basically I have been focusing a lot on strengthening my back and opening up my hips. Using some of the poses you all gave me like Dandasana, Baddha Konasana, Janu Sirsasana, and also the forward bend (I am not sure what the pose is called… I think someone mentioned it on here but I can’t remember exactly.) I’ve done all of the ones mentioned but those ones I’ve done the most I’d say.
In terms of my focus I am not concerned about getting my feet on the floor, but 1) keeping my back flat and long as I move into the post and 2) stretching my hamstrings back.

#16

Wow. Quite a change! This may sound odd, but the way I helped my body maintain downward dog was put on my alpine ski boots and skis (in my living room, much to the amusement of my family and dog) and get into the position. This locked my legs in place and I focused on my shoulders and spine. It worked for me.

#17

Thanks! I guess I should also mention (I forgot to before) that in my forward bend practice, I have been basically bending down as far as I can, keeping my back straight, and holding that. I am not sure if this counts as a yoga pose, but it has really helped in my downward dog.

#18

Aaron,

Wow! What an improvement! I would have one more suggestion and that is to allow you head to relax in between your arms.

So how does your down dog feel now compared to before?

Thanks for updating us!

#19

That looks better Aaron. Best to release your neck and not hold it as you are in both of these photos. The chin should not be in line with the upper arms as that takes the neck (cervical spine) out of alignment with the rest of the spine.

#20

Oh okay. I will definitely remember to keep my head down then! I am so excited that I am starting to see changes in already :slight_smile:

#21

Hugh improvement Aaron. Yes, just the reach with the forehead toward the floor and you a cleared for take off. Keep breathing.

peace,
siva

#22

I thought I’d update y’all on my downward dog practice. I saw consistent improvement, but unfortunately with me graduating this year, the last few weeks of school I just didn’t have the time or energy to practice. That being said, as soon as school was over I got right back into it and after a week this is where I’m at. Not quite where I left things off, but I think it is looking good. To be honest I think the hardest thing at this point is just keeping my damn head down :stuck_out_tongue:

Any thoughts or comments?

#23

aaron,

You’re improving, but yes, you have to drive the head down. Turn the armpits down harder, spread the scapulae and squeeze those ribs and abs up against the ceiling… Don’t let them hang down, slacken.

But first, it’s ok you’re heels are not down, but it looks like you are perched on your toes and the outside of your foot: the force of your weight wrapping around the outside of the leg, engaging your hamstrings, up into your ass and lower-back. Do the opposite. Turn inward in your hips sockets and drive your weight down through the insides of the thighs, inside the foot and out through the heels, with the knees straight.

When you make that turn in your hips and legs and drive down, suddenly, your head and armpits will follow easily.

siva

#24

Hello Aaron,

Can you tell me, is there a reason you’re not bending your knees in this pose at this point in your practice?

Can you tell me what landmarks you are using to determine the width of your hands and feet from each other?

What is the difference (for you) between doing and allowing in your practice of asana and which of these are you employing in the neck?

What poses are you incorporating into your practice to further open your hamstrings?

What is your understanding of the actions in shoulders when they are weight-bearing?

gordon

#25

Try keeping your feet hip width and parallel.

Bend your knees a bit so that it is easier to turn the sit bones up…making a nice long diagonal with your back.

Release your head down…so that your neck is in line with the rest of your back.

Spread your fingers ,hands shoulder width and keep all the finger bases down on the mat (thumb and first finger need to be down…it looks like yours are lifting)

I totally disagree with siva who is say to “drive” and "harder"etc…DO NOT force !!!
Yoga is non-harming and downward dog does not need to be hard(difficult-hard or ridged-hard) it should be an easy, soft, opening place to be with long, full fluid breath.

I will be interested in the answers you have for Gordon…he usually give very useful tips.

How are you getting into DD?..via sunsalutation? which sunsalutation?

Try doing some simple hamstring stretches…trying lying on your back, lift one leg up,use a strap (or long towel) over your foot so that you can gently draw your leg in stretching the hamstrings without your head or shoulders lifting off the floor.

Hope this helps.

#26

Hi Aaron,

FYI: seems you have a kyphotic spine. That means a rounded back with the curve extending below T12. Don’t worry, you’re young and the progress you’ve made shows your flexible. I would recommend back bends to improve extension (especially in your lower back) and allow you to keep a straighter back in DD.

Best Wishes