Get Down Dog

basicsdownward-facing dogby Jason CrandellGet Down Dogis the salt of hatha yoga,sprinkled intermittently throughout class from beginning to end. Just as pinches of salt enliven a dish, soDownward Dog enlivens your body—from your hipsto your spine to your fingers and toes—making you feelmore vibrant and alive, even spicier. As you discoverthe nuances of the pose, you’ll find it gets deeper andmore flavorful, so you savor it more.Arms reaching,Downward-Facing Dog looks sohips lifting, spineeasy and so beautiful, but looks canstretching : Downbe deceiving. This pose is actuallyward Dog creates aquite complex, and its benefits farsymphony of sweetreaching. It both strengthens andsensations allstretches your entire body and requiresthrough your body.you to balance the effort in your arms,torso, and legs so you don’t overburden any one area.Hold it for a few breaths and you’ll see what I mean.In flow classes, Downward Dog is a lot like homebase—you do it over and over again to neutralize yourspine, to bring it back into its natural alignment. It’salso an inversion, preparing beginners for the feeling of going upside down. A pose with so many benefits is worth learning in detail. So even if you’ve donemore Down Dogs than you can count, these first twoDOWNWARD-FACING DOGSpine is long anddecompressedArmpits areextendedHands press evenlyElbow creases rotateto face thumbs

Sitting bones rolltoward the ceilingDON’T tuck your tail andround your lower back.Backs of legsextend thoroughlyDON’T strain your neckby looking forward.Tops of thighs liftand press backDO spread your fingers andpress evenly into the mat.Knees are straight but notlocked or hyperextendedHeels reachtoward the floorDECEMBER 2005YOGAJOURNAL.COM 51

Pose BenefitsDevelops suppleness and strengthin the arms and shouldersElongates the spineCreates greater flexibility in thehamstrings and calvesHelps calm the nervous systemContraindicationsHamstring injury(Wrist problemsSpinal disk injuryversions will help you rediscover it, refineit, and feel it in all its glory.When you first try Down Dog, you mayfeel tight in areas you never knew existed.Your lower back might round and yourelbows may bend and bow. But with dailypractice, you’ll love the sensation of unfurling your body into the pose, feelinglong and lithe like a dog stretching aftera good nap.1With your knees straight you might feelbunched and crunched. With your kneesbent you’ll find a long, juicy stretchthrough your spine, shoulders, and arms.To start, lie face-down on your mat andplace your hands on the floor by yourshoulders. Keeping your hands and feetwhere they are, shift onto your hands andknees. Your knees should be as far apart asyour hips, and your hands as far apart asyour shoulders. This is the correct placement for your hands and feet in these twoversions of the pose.Your hands and feet are the foundationof the pose, so they should be solid andgrounded. Bring your awareness to yourhands: Feel where they’re in full contactwith the mat and where they’re not anchored. Spread your fingers wide and pressfirmly and evenly through your hands intothe mat. By dispersing your weight evenlyacross your hand, your wrists will be morestable and less vulnerable to injury.With your hands rooted to the mat,tuck your toes under so your heels comeoff the floor. Lift your knees off the matand shift your pelvis up toward the ceilingand back toward the wall behind you,keeping your knees bent. Instead of lifting up in a pushup position, press back.Imagine pressing the floor down and awayfrom your pelvis.For the next few breaths, begin to refine the pose, starting with your hands. Ifyour thumb and index fingers are off theground, you’re bearing too much weightin your outer hands. To counter this, tryto create a perfect palm print on the mat:Spread your fingers, reach through yourarms, and press down with both hands.Now try to straighten your elbows. Thiscan feel demanding either because youhave tight shoulders or you lack strength,so be compassionate and patient as youtry this. Next, rotate your arms externally(away from your ears) until your elbowcreases face your thumbs. Feel the broadness of your upper back and the charge inyour arms and shoulders.With your arms awake and aligned, shiftyour chest toward your legs. Feel your2BEND YOUR KNEESIn the first version of the pose (above), youbend your knees, which removes the hamstrings from the equation and allows youto fully extend through your upper body.52 YOGAJOURNAL.COMDECEMBER 2005PHOTOS: DAVID MARTINEZ; MODEL: MARIA RAMIREZ; STYLIST: LYN HEINEKEN; HAIR/MAKEUP: FRANCE D U SHANE/ARTIST UNTIED; CLOTHES: OXUMWEAR; MAT: HUGGER MUGGER)BASICS

INTRO TO YOGA PHILOSOPHYarmpit area lengthen and your chest open.As you continue to reach your arms, yourpelvis will lift further up and shift back,and your spine will lengthen, unravel, anddecompress.Last but not least, release the tensionin your neck; let your head hang naturallybetween your arms. After three to fivebreaths, exhale and bring your knees tothe floor. Rest in Balasana (Child’s Pose)for a few breaths before coming into version 2 of the pose.sutra schoolYoga Sutra 1.1Now, the teachings of yoga.Atha yoga anushasanamSo reads the first stanza (sutra) ofPatanjali’s 2,000-year-old yoga guidebook, the Yoga Sutra. It’s quite possiblyone of the most famous opening linesin all of Hindu spiritual literature, butmost eager students, intent on gettingto the juicier parts of the teachings, sailpast the first word, “now” (in Sanskritatha, pronounced ah-tah) without asecond thought.MAKE LIKE AN “A”But wait! One distinct characteristicWhen you practice Downward Dog inof the sutra is brevity, so the word athaclass, you might feel as if everyone hasis there for good reason. It’s there tograb your attention: I’m ready to teach,their heels on the ground except you. InPatanjali is saying, so listen up. But athathis version you don’t have to worry aboutalso signals the value of what you’rethat at all—in fact, you inabout to dive into. These daystentionally keep youryou can flip through theheels lifted. This willYoga Sutra whenever yougive you more play inTo read more Basics columns,please, and then return itto the shelf, but long agoyour pelvis so you canvisit yogajournal.com andittook a long period ofbegin to understand itsclick on “New to Yoga” in thepreparation just to gainalignment in the pose.navigation bar at the top.access to it. The study ofCome back to the firstclassical yoga was seriousversion of the pose. This time, lift yourbusiness that required commitment.heels as far away from the floor as you can.At some point the teacher determinedthat—atha, “now”—the novice wasStraighten your knees, engage the musclesqualified enough for instruction. It mustin your thighs, and lift your pelvis towardhave been an exhilarating momentthe ceiling. Your pelvis will shift forwardwhen students left behind their everyas you do this and your body will lookday identities to assume a new rolelike a capital “A.”as spiritual aspirants.From this position, roll your sittingFor modern yogis, atha whispers asubtle reminder that all yoga teachingbones up toward the ceiling. Observe howemerges from and leads us back to thethis rotation of your pelvis lifts your heelstimeless, ever-present now. Before youfurther from the floor. Also, notice howbegin your next practice, say it silentlythe top of your sacrum tilts forward andand see if it draws you into the present.into your back. Unless you are very mobileIf you’re really lucky, you might feel, inin your spine, this is a healthy position forthe words of Patanjali, that the “layersand imperfections concealing truth” areyour lower back. Without these funda“washed away,” and your authentic selfmental shifts, you might end up lookingis revealed.Online Extralike a sad, hesitant dog—back rounded,buttocks curled under. This is dangerousand can lead to injuries in your lower backor hamstrings.So, with your pelvis tilted forward in itsproper alignment, firm the very tops ofyour thighs and lift them toward your hipcreases. Draw your thighbones up intoyour pelvis, and roll your sitting bones evenhigher, forming a taller, more acutely angled “A” shape. To keep your legs straight,don’t jam or force your knees back; use the54 YOGAJOURNAL.COMbe here nowYou’re often asked to chant Sanskrit inclass, but there’s nothing wrong withchanting in English if the words evokemeaning for you. Sit with your spinestraight, close your eyes, and slow yourbreathing. With each exhalation, say theword “now” to yourself, drawing outthe “w.” Feel how the present momentbecomes suspended even as timepasses and transforms into anothermoment of now. R I C H A R D R O S E NDECEMBER 2005

BASICSstrength of your thighs to lift them. Feelhow the strength of your legs supports thelift of your pelvis.Now, one more time, press the tops ofyour thighs (not your knees) back towardthe wall behind you. As you do this, yourpelvis will move away from your hands,which will take some of the burden offyour arms. Stay here for three to fivesmooth rounds of breath.DO THE FULL DOGThe challenge in the full expression ofDownward Dog is to fully extend yourupper body and the backs of your legswhile keeping from rounding your lowerback. If your shoulders hunch forward oryour lower back bulges toward the ceiling,continue to practice versions 1 and 2 for afew more weeks. Also, add Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Hand-to-Big-ToePose) to your practice, which will openyour hamstrings and calves safely.Come into the full pose by movingthrough versions 1 and 2 first. Rotate yourupper arms away from your ears until yourelbow creases face their respective thumbs.Keeping your heels lifted, press your handsevenly into the mat and straighten yourarms. Draw your kneecaps up and takeyour thighs back to take some of the weightoff your arms. Inch your pelvis furtherup and back and feel how the sides of yourbody lengthen. Roll your sitting bonesup so your lower back arches into its natural curve.Now that your body is fully engaged andworking to create space, slowly reach yourheels toward the mat. Imagine your heelsfilled with lead. Breathe deeply and allowthe intensity of the stretch to peel awayall those layers of tension from the backof your legs. Release your neck and softenyour gaze.Stay for three to five smooth, evenbreaths in this version of Downward Dog,then release into Child’s Pose. Notice anysensations throughout your body, recognizing that this feeling of space, harmony,and ease is your body’s true nature. Jason Crandell teaches in San Francisco andaround the country. You can contact him atwww.jasonyoga.com.DECEMBER 2005YOGAJOURNAL.COM 55

INTRO TO YOGA PHILOSOPHY sutra school Yoga Sutra 1.1 Now, the teachings of yoga. Atha yoga anushasanam So reads the first stanza (sutra) of Patanjali’s 2,000-year-old yoga guide-book, the Yoga Sutra. It’s quite possibly one of the most famous opening lines in all of Hindu spiritu