How to Deepen Downward-Facing Dog in Yoga
- 1). Start off on your hands and knees, making sure your wrists are just forward from your shoulders and your knees are directly under your hips.
- 2). As you exhale, tuck your toes under and lift your knees off the floor, keeping them bent. (You’ll straighten them a little later.) Focus on lengthening your spine from your neck up to your tailbone. As you lengthen your spine, continue this progression by elevating your hips.
- 3). On your next exhale, press your heels into the floor and straighten your legs (making sure not to lock the knees) until they are fully extended from your hips down to your ankles.
- 4). Press your hands and feet into the floor. You should feel a lift running from your wrists to your shoulders and another lift from your ankles to your hips.
- 5). Roll your shoulders back slightly, yet keep them wide, and hold for a breath or two. You should now be in downward-facing dog.
- 6). To deepen downward-facing dog, start off by lifting your heels off the floor, just slightly, until you are on the balls of your feet.
- 7). Move each foot about 1" or so closer to your hands. As you do this, actively draw your groin into your pelvis.
- 8). Press your heels back into the floor, increasing the stretch in your legs, and hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
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