more down dog

pranayama (breathing) help for down dog pose

This asana (posture) is not easy for every person. Especially if there is not much upper body strength. Which, incidentally, this pose is great for. It builds up our shoulders and arms, and shapes our legs too. But, for when it's diificult, a little help is useful

I use a pranayama breathing practice) in this case: to get into the pose if it's difficult, use a mukha bhastrika breath, to push yourself up. Even when doing Sun Salutes (Surya Namaskara), providing of course that you're not doing lots of rounds.

If the pose is just done once and held, to make it easier for beginners, do another version of mukha bhastrika: inhale through the nose/exhale with three to six mukha bhastrikas per inhale through the mouth. Start with one of these breaths, work up to five. 

The other version of this, in holding downdog, is five fast bhastrikas in and out of the mouth.

If you are doing the sun salute below just a few times, you can use this breathing technique in downdog. You'll be holding it for less time than doing the usual five deep breaths in and out.

Alternatively, do a mukha bhastrika to go from plank to floor/hovering off the floor,and also pushing up to down dog. Choose one method and stick to it for an even flow of energy.

Mukha bhastrika does increase alertness and wakefulness, so it isn't appropriate for evening yoga. 

postural energetic advice 

No matter how your feet are: together, hip width apart (the new normal), the feet face forwards. For wide apart, there is also the option of toes being ever so slightly turned in.

Pc wise, for the position of our head in the pose, in a straight line  from the spine, and our ears being at the same level as our arms. Which is great, very perfect. However, I first learnt yoga many decades ago, and down dog was mountain pose, used in salute to the sun (surya namaskara), the feet were together, and the chin tucked into the collarbone (chin lock - jalandhara bandha). 

Nowadays, the other pc version for the head is to look at the navel, which creates a softer effect than a chin lock.

prana (life force) effects 

Why would we have a chin lock? Remember I'm talking about down dog within surya namaskara here. It's to create movement of energy. In the chin lock, energy is blocked, stopped, jammed. When we come out of the pose and lift our chin up, the blocked energy flows upwards. This energy is one of the pranas, and is called udana. It flows up the head. Sometimes this energy is not moving as it should, and chin locks are a marvellous way to correct this. Especially when the head is upside down. 

chakra effect

The throat chakra (vishuddhi) is affected also. Particularly the part of it which is in our aura. The auric parts of the chakras can most definitely get "gunk" in them, creating mental, emotional and physical minor difficulties. They can also get a bit squashed, and this most absolutely hinders vital energies flowing freely in through the auric parts of the chakras, feeding us on unseen levels, and also affecting us mentally and emotionally. Chin lock also helps with these two difficulties.

meridian and pressure point effects

One of the reasons for stretching the back of the neck, is that there are very important pressure points there. Around the base of the skull, sides and back of neck. When these points are clogged, we are definitely not feeling our best. A bit crabby, or stressed. A good stretch helps relieve these tensions. There are also meridian lines (lines of energy on which the pressure points are found) going up the back of the neck. Stretching them allows for a freer flow of energy, especially up to the brain, in this pose. 

glandular effects

Our glands are so affected by yoga asanas, and this is one of the ways that physical yoga keeps us healthy. Our glands secrete hormones which regulate our body.

When we do a chin lock in this pose, again, we are blocking, and this has to do with fluids on the physical level. Cellular and blood fluids. When we come out of the pose,lifting our head and our buttocks going down, there is a wash of these fluids through the thyroid and parathyroid glands. So important on so many levels. The thyroid has a lot to do with our metabolism, so it's very beneficial to look after it.

who should not do chin locks in down dog?

• anyone with thyroid issues of any sort
• anyone who has eye problems
• problems with vertigo
• anyone who has high blood pressure

who should not do down dog?

Anyone who has shoulder, arm, finger issues or any of the problems mentioned above

doing a throat lock (bandha) is not good for high blood pressure