Pose of the Week

Every Wednesday I'll be selecting a pose and breaking down how to get into it and the benefits of the pose.
This week I have chosen Adho Mukha Svanasana a.k.a. Downward Facing Dog.

 It seems like such an easy pose, as most of us cheat at it, yes even I like to sometimes, but if done correctly it's actually a very advanced pose with many benefits.

 1. Start by coming to the floor on your hands and knees, placing your hands directly under your shoulders and knees sits-bones distance apart (touch the bottom of your bum and find those boney points on either side -- those are your sits-bones, place your knees that far apart). Spread your fingers nice and wide making sure your pointer fingers are parallel with one another. Curl your toes underneath you take a deep inhale and on an exhale...

2. Lift your knees away from the floor and press your thighs back in space. Keeping your knees slightly bent, heels lifted off the floor, really press your sits bones up towards the sky and press your chest towards your thighs as if you're trying to lay your chest on your thighs. Keeping this, straighten your legs and lower your heels towards the floor.
3. Externally rotate your upper arms to bring your shoulders closer together on your back and really lengthen from your tailbone to the crown of your head creating a long spine.  Keep your ears in-line with your biceps; don't let it hang.
4. Stay in this pose for 1-3 minutes and with an exhalation lower back down to your knees.

Benefits: 

• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
• Energizes the body
• Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches and hands
• Strengthens the arms and legs
• Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
• Helps prevent osteoporosis
• Improves digestion
• Relieves headache, insomnia, back pain and fatigue

To deepen your practice - visit my website http://www.ladyjyoga.com/ to contact me for information on PRIVATES

Love & Light