Curious About Your Alignment In Down Dog? Watch This Yoga Pose Tutorial (Video)

Downward Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana, is one of the most commonly practiced yoga poses. Down Dog is a foundational yoga pose, and is also one of the poses in the traditional Sun Salutation (or Surya Namaskar) series.

At first, Downward Dog will feel like a challenging pose, and it should! It takes a good amount of arm and leg strength, and also requires several key points of alignment to make sure you’re practicing it correctly and safely so you can get the most benefit out of the pose.

Speaking of benefits . . . let’s quickly review all the wonderful reasons to practice Downward Dog regularly.
 
 

Benefits of Practicing Downward Dog

Down Dog is a full-body stretch, specifically targeting the shoulders, hamstrings, and calves (all of which are typically tight in most bodies).

With regular practice of this pose, you’ll gain upper body strength and full body flexibility. Over time, this will become a resting pose that your body welcomes as a delicious and rejuvenating stretch.
 

 
 
Down Dog also offers many mental and emotional benefits. Classified as an inversion (which is any pose where your head is below your heart), the increased blood supply to your brain helps relieve stress and create a sense of mental calm. It also helps to relieve back pain, fatigue, insomnia, and even headaches.

The list of reasons why to practice Downward Facing Dog goes on and on. In short, it’s an integral pose in yoga, and one that you can and should practice often! That being said, it’s important to understand the alignment basics so you can be sure you’re practicing properly and safely.

Despite Downward Dog being such a common pose, it is also a pose that is often practiced incorrectly. From hand placement to the distance between hands and feet and much more, there are several key alignment aspects required to practice this pose correctly. That’s why we created this short tutorial video to teach you everything you need to know to practice safely and correctly!
 
 

Watch This Downward Dog Tutorial Video to Learn More

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