It seems like a travesty to admit that you don’t like ol’ Down Dog. It’s practically synonymous with yoga. It’s practically an institution. It’s one of the most recognized poses anywhere. But Heather came clean in her comment to my last entry, and I’m proud of her - it’s tough to admit you’re not a fan of the pose. And it’s an issue because some teachers love the pose so much they leave you in it until you feel like your shoulders are about weld together. I couldn’t STAND the pose when I started doing yoga. It felt unnatural, useless and downright uncomfortable. Here’s some reasons why:

- It’s an inversion - that’s why yoga teachers love it, because inversions are good for you and it’s more accessible than a headstand. But that’s also why it feels so unnatural and uncomfortable. When do you ever hold half your body weight like that in your arms, shoulders and back? You need to build up strength. It looks easy but it’s a very active pose because you’re always working against gravity to pull your spine long. To help get the feel of the pose try a Half Dog and drop your knees to the floor so you can focus on what’s going on from your hips up. When you’re stronger and want to build up strength try Ana Forrest’s Turbo Dog - bend your elbows so they drop a little toward the floor - woohoo!
- You feel all the tightness in the back of your body - the first Dog of the yoga session is the hardest when your’re not warmed up yet. But just bend your knees a bit, or alot. This takes the tension off your back-body and lightens the load for your arms. If your teacher has left you in the pose while she recites the Sutras, go to Half Dog.
- It puts alot of pressure on your wrists - focus in on where you’re holding the weight in your hands. You want to feel the weight in your fingers, thumbs and throughout your palms. You don’t want it all jammed into your poor little wrists. If you have a problem with carpal tunnel or another “wrist-onitis” issue, try rolling up a hand towel and placing your wrists on it. I understand that elevating them can help, give it a try.
- It’s a complicated pose - At a yoga conference once I went to two back-to-back sessions where the instructor demonstrated the shoulder action in Down Dog exactly opposite to how the other instructor did. What’s a yogi to do? My position is that shoulder blades are pressed down the back to make the shoulder joints strong and secure. Then spaciousness is introduced by pulling out of the shoulder joints (no settling toward the floor) and stretching the spine long - you’re literally reaching your tailbone up and back, away from your fingertips. Spaciousness is also brought across your back by curling the outer edges of arm pits down toward the floor. Play with it in Half Dog so you can focus without getting tired. But also try the instructions you run across in class or other materials and experience it for yourself until you find techniques you’re comfortable with.

It’s worth working Downward Dog because it has plenty of benefits for body and mind. We always laugh in my Power Yoga class because once we’re warm and have done some challenging standing poses, Down Dog feels as good as Savasana. Who’da thought :-)

Also, when any pose feels really uncomfortable or painful, mention it to your teacher . Every body is different and when you need personalized attention, just ask. You may not be the only person who’s having challenges and if you are, so what, you deserve to find a way to be more comfortable in the pose. Thanks for your question Heather and Happy “Dogging”.