Yoga Dog Pose - Preparations

PLEASE USE A YOGA MAT FOR EACH ASANA AND BODY PREPARATION.

Downward dog.

Exercise one.

Stand about seven inches away from a wall. Place a chair, at arms length away in front of you with its back facing you.

  1. Stand in an upright position with your feet just less than shoulder width apart. Ensuring that your feet face forwards.
  2. As you start to bend your upper body forwards, moving from the hips only and keeping your legs straight, move your hands to place them onto the top of the chair back. You may need to move the chair forwards or backwards until your arms are completely straight, and your shoulders are in line with your straight arms.
  3. Look towards the ground, tucking your chin in. Feel your sitting bones being drawn towards and gently pressing against the wall as you begin to experience your whole spine stretching. ensuring that your legs are straight throughout.
  4. To come out of the posture, slowly walk your toes and heels in to hip width apart, and walk towards the chair. Finally slowly raising your head.

Exercise two.

As above, stand about seven inches in front of a wall without a chair.

  1. Adopt a wide stance, ensuring your heels are facing forwards, and place your hands on your hips.
  2. Keeping your legs straight, slowly bend forwards from your hips and at the same time slide your palms down your legs towards your knees and stop. Tuck your chin in, ensuring that your back is in `table top` position. Breathe normally in this position for two minutes. Feel your sitting bones lightly touching the wall as you feel the spine stretching.
  3. Now slowly move your palms towards your calf muscles or heels and hold for another two minutes.
  4. Place your fingertips in the centre of your legs on the floor and again, start to feel the stretch in your spine and in your legs. Hold for another two minutes.
  5. To come out of the posture, with your fingertips still touching the floor, slowly walk your toes and heels to hip width apart and bend your knees. Allow your arms and shoulders to remain relaxed and slowly uncurl your body to a standing position. Keeping your chin tucked in until you are almost standing.

Exercise three (With two other people)

  1. Allow one person to stand in front of you to take hold of your wrists. The other person should stand behind you in order to place his or her hands on either side of your hips.
  2. Ask each helper to pull your body very gently, to give your spine a stretch. Take a few gentle breaths and then ask your helpers to release.