Which part of the dog to attend to first?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

I will ask in class tomorrow, but I would welcome views on how to improve my donwward dog.

It has progressed. When I started out I couldn’t stay up off my knees for a full five breaths. Now I can support myself off the matt while attending to my breathing. The shape is however pretty awful.

My poor dawg has mange and a touch of distemper!

What is the best way to progress the position? Should I first try to align my back and arms in a straight line, while bending the knees and not putting my ankles very far down? Should I aim to straighten my legs and flatten my feet first and worry about the back and arms half of the ‘A’ later? Or is there some way of addressing both aspects together.

At the moment within a little fluctuation I am pretty much presenting a table shape rather than a point. My back and arms are at an angle to each other with my back pretty much parallel to the ground. My legs can straighten if I am up on my toes, or I can get my heels further back if I bend my knees a little.

Keep in mind that I am having to support nearly 19 stone in weight and that I have as yet very little flexibility.

Thanks.

#2

It is best to consider the spine first in downward dog. So, aim for a long spine and bend your knees if you have to. Eventually you will be able to straighten your legs, but work on lengthening your spine and really reaching back with your hips.

I am sure someone with more knowledge will be able to advise you better, but I hope this helps a bit.

#3

A beautiful pose, Adho Mukha Svanasana.
Since the spine acts as the hub for the nervous system it is appropriate to mentor a neutral spine in the pose first. For those with tight hamstrings that means a slight flexing of the knees AND a tipping forward of the pelvis such that the bottom of the belly is closer to the top of the thighs.

Typically we in Purna Yoga build poses from the ground up. So foundations would need to be addressed. But I prefer not to get into this too deeply with students who are struggling with my first two instructions above.

So for you I would focus on three things:

  1. bending the knees as much as is needed for number two and three.
  2. tipping the pelvis forward to keep the lower back curvy (lumbar spine).
  3. Pressing the bones of the hands into the earth and recoiling the sitting bones into the top of the wall behind you.