Sunday, August 24, 2008

Why Downward Facing Dog? I'll tell ya!


The most basic and widely-known yoga pose is down dog. Even if you've never attended a yoga class, you most likely have heard of this one. Downward facing dog has many jobs and functions, among them--assessment pose, transitional pose, resting pose, strengthening pose, inversion pose and rejuvenator. I also use it frequently in my Pilates classes to build strength and endurance.

The role of downward facing dog is vast. Done properly and consistently, the most noticeable benefits include:
  • Stronger hands, wrists, low-back, hamstrings, calves and Achilles tendon
  • Decrease in back pain by strengthening the entire back and shoulder girdle
  • Elongated shoulders and shoulder blade area
  • Decrease in tension and headaches by elongating the cervical spine and neck and relaxing the head
  • Deepened respiration
  • Decreased anxiety
  • Increased full-body circulation
Down Dog can also be used in sequences such as Sun Salutations and Vinyasa Flow. So many poses and exercises can revolve around Down Dog making it a must have in any mind/body class!

Source: www.active.com/mindandbody

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