Downward-Facing Dog

Inverted V — hands and feet on the floor, hips up. Calves, hamstrings, shoulders in one shape.

· 2 min read

yoga · posterior chain · calf · hamstring · shoulder

The lesson

  1. 1

    Hips up and back

    From hands and knees, tuck your toes under and send your hips up and back into an upside-down V.

  2. 2

    Press the floor away

    Push through both hands so your weight comes out of your wrists and your spine grows long.

  3. 3

    Lift your sit bones

    The pose is your pelvis tipping forward at the top, tailbone reaching for the ceiling. That tilt is the thing you're actually after.

  4. 4

    Bend the knees to find it

    Bend as much as you need to get that tilt. Straight legs with a rounded back is the wrong pose; your heels reach down but never have to touch.

  5. 5

    Head between the arms

    Ears in line with your biceps, neck long, no hanging and no craning. Pedal your feet if your calves want more.

Downward-Facing Dog

How to do it

From hands and knees, tuck the toes and lift the hips up and back. The body forms an inverted V — wrists under shoulders or slightly in front, hips reaching up and back, heels reaching toward the floor (they don't have to touch). Press the floor away through both hands; the spine lengthens long. Head is neutral between the upper arms, ears in line with the biceps. Knees can bend as much as needed to keep the spine long.

Why it's good for runners

Three of the tissues running shortens most — calves, hamstrings, and shoulders — all on stretch in one shape, with your bodyweight providing the load. The shoulder stretch matters more than runners realize; arm carriage tightens the lats and the shoulders, and Down Dog reverses it. Pedalling the feet (alternating bent knees) inside the pose turns it into an active calf release.

Common mistakes

Don't chase straight legs at the cost of a rounded spine — bend the knees, lift the sit bones up, and let the heels come off the floor if that's what keeps the spine long. Don't dump weight into the wrists by collapsing the shoulders; press the floor away. And don't let the head hang heavy or crane up; the neck stays in line with the spine.

Related

Yoga poses

Pyramid

Standing, both feet planted, front leg straight, hips square, folding over the front leg. One-legged hamstring and calf length with the whole standing chain working.

Yoga poses

Cross-Body Reach

Feet wide, one hand travelling down toward the opposite foot while the other arm reaches straight up. One long diagonal from fingertips to heel.

Yoga poses

Seated Fold

Sitting with the legs long, folded forward over them with the spine allowed to round. The whole back line at once, given minutes instead of breaths.

Back to Yoga poses