Downward Facing Dog, aka Down Dog, aka Adho Mukha Svanasana, must be one of the most ubiquitous poses in yoga classes across the world. While I have not practiced all the styles of yoga, I can’t think of one class in which Adho Mukha Svanasana wasn’t a constant. You start class with it, well at least fairly early on, you use it in between asanas as a way to rest and, for those that practice Surya Namaskara based classes (that’s sun salutation and no, I don’t know these by heart, the magic of the internet is helping me remember the Sanskrit words), it is part of each one of these. And yet, every time, even after hundreds of Adho Mukha Svanasanas, I still find myself adjusting and wondering, am I doing this right? Sometimes I think an entire class should just be dedicated to Adho Mukha Svanasana. It brings deeper meaning to the song, the thigh bone’s connected to the hip bone, the hip bone’s connected to the…you get the gist.

So what is it about Adho Mukha Svanasana that keeps it so interesting. Well, for one, there are lots of body parts to be paying attention to. While the asana may look like an upside down V, the subtle changes in the body make it much more powerful and specified then that. What are those subtleties? The hardest one for me is keeping those shoulders open when you’re down. That means literally feeling the top of your arms unfurl like a new leaf opening up on a palm. Really get those shoulders open and away from the ears.

The other subtle but potent adjustment is having your thighs role out, as if someone is placing their palms on your inner thighs and rolling out the flesh and muscle. But no need for someone else, you can do it yourself. Get those thighs out.  And at the same time, get that butt in the air. One effective way of doing this is bending the knees, sticking your but up high, and then straightening the legs. One more thing, really feel the stability of the hands as the index finger and thumb remain stable and grounding. At the same time, you shouldn’t be leaning too much into the hands. There should be and equal balance of sorts of the hands stretching forwards and down and the feet stretching backwards and down. Then allow the head to fall properly, comfortably and deeply in between the arms.Wow, that’s a lot to remember!

OK, so what do we have. We have hands firmly placed on the mat, index finger and thumb secure and stable, long outstretched arms with the shoulders rolling out, head resting between the arms as you gently look at one place with a sense of concentration, back straight, butt high, then legs down, thighs turned outwards, feet parallel, heels reaching for the ground. And then, of course, breathe. And breathe. And breathe.