Foundations of Asanas---Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog Pose

💟How to do:

1. Start from Table Top position. Come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Set knees like hips width apart, right underneath your hips. Hands like shoulders width apart, right underneath your shoulders. Spread fingers wide and press down into the floor.

2. Move your hands slightly forward, tuck your toes under.

3. Take an inhalation, and exhale, slowly lift up your knees off the floor, lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis, lift your sitting bones toward the sky. You may first keep knees bent;

4. With another exhalation, straighten the legs by pressing the thigh bones back toward the hamstrings. Make sure not to lock knees. Lengthen legs down through heels. You may keep heels lifted if tight hamstrings;

5. Externally rotate your upper arms. Stabilize your should blades against your back and widen them. Keep your head in between your shoulders, slightly tucking your chin. Don't drop the head down. Engage your core, draw the naval in toward your spine.

6. You may hold this pose for 5-10 breaths. To come out, slowly bend your knees and come onto the floor. Exhale, rest into Child's pose.

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💟Modifications:

1. Use blocks. Since downdog pose is a full body stretch, using blocks can elevate the upper body and lessen the stretch.

2. Use a chair. Same idea as using blocks. But if you have headache, lightheadedness, or high blood pressure, Chair can be the best prop for you to come into this pose. Downdog pose is actually an inversion pose. By using a chair, your head is not too low under your heart, BUT you can still get the benefit from this pose; It's also good for seniors.

3. If you have wrist injury, you may modify as follows:

Shape your hands as a cupcake, fingertips on the floor. ⬇️

Modify to Dolphin pose. Set upper arms and elbows on the floor. ⬇️