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Adho Mukha Svanasana, or down ward facing dog, is an asana many of us are familiar with.
Downward dog is essentially a gentle inversion. BKS Iyengar states that it is a convenient posture to practice for yogis who are not yet ready for stronger inversions, such as a headstand. The upper body is lowered and stretched which allows blood flow to the area without strain on the heart.
When to do this posture: Downward facing dog is beneficial to do when feeling fatigued. The increased blood flow to the head rejuvenates blood cells and invigorates the brain. It also helps with stiffness around the shoulder blades.
Some points to remember when performing Ardo Mukha Svanasana: If your hamstrings are particularly tight, it is a good idea to slightly bend the knees and lift the heels up off the mat. This will allow your spine to lengthen and straighten. Push the belly towards the thighs. However be aware of sinking the chest if you have a flexible upper spine. Although we are ultimately aiming to press the heels to the floor, it is important not to curve the spine just to straighten your legs and have your heels on the floor. Check that the inside edge of the heel is just out of your sight, so toes ever so slightly turn in.
To open the shoulders and relieve stiffness in this area, turn the under arms towards each other. Imagine you are tightening or spreading the skin between the shoulder blades, as opposed to bunching. Allow the head to hang.
Press the finger tips and palms to the floor, and have the idea of the arms lifting up out of the wrists and the torso lifting up out of the shoulders. Think about lift, or pressing the earth away, rather than sinking the weight towards the floor.
