Yoga Pose Feature: Downward Facing Dog

Busy, racing mind? Having trouble focusing? Can't settle down? Always on the go?

Is anyone else feeling busier than ever? Between back-to-back virtual meetings and catching up with travel, and social engagements with family and friends that were lost during the last two years of the pandemic, I feel like it’s getting progressively harder to slow down and make time for our own physical and mental health. The other day I thought back to when I used to take 2 hours to drive to the studio, do a 75-minute yoga class, and drive home. Now I’m lucky if I’m able to fit in a 20-minute yoga session one or two times per week.

While we may not have time for a leisurely yoga class anytime soon, it just means that we have to be fully present with the little time we do have for our yoga practice. What if we could attain the calming benefits of yoga in a few minutes or less? Sometimes taking 60 seconds to breathe and be fully present in your breath can be more beneficial than a 60-minute yoga class where you may be distracted most of the time.

Or, try popping into Downward Dog for a few minutes, and enjoy the calming benefits of this accessible inversion. Inversions in yoga create balance in the body and are said to relieve stress and calm the mind. If you’re feeling overwhelmed today, and need to calm your mind in a few minutes, let me take you through the Downward Facing Dog pose. Enjoy!

Try adding variations to your Downward Facing Dog and see how it feels:

• Forearms down

• Rest head on a block or blanket

In my opinion, advanced yoga is listening to your body, and adjusting your poses accordingly. It’s about finding that sweet spot, where the body begins to speak to you and you reach a new, subtler, and infinitely satisfying level of knowing.