• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Di Hickman

discover how to live your yoga, and love life

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
    • My Yoga Journey
    • About Me
  • Virtual Yoga Classes
  • Connect
    • Press
      • Media Kit
  • Resources
    • Sign up
    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
  • My Yoga Journey
  • Connect
  • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
    • My Yoga Journey
    • About Me
  • Virtual Yoga Classes
  • Connect
    • Press
      • Media Kit
  • Resources
    • Sign up
    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure

5 tips for downward facing dog

November 13, 2019 //  by Di Hickman//  34 Comments

My yoga mentor says, with a touch of humor and sass, that “it’s not a real class until you do downward facing dog”. Funny, and somewhat true, because downward facing dog is THE iconic yoga pose people know. Even if they know absolutely nothing else about yoga. It’s sad then that it gets severely butchered by so many. So let’s look at how to do the pose, followed by 5 tips for downward facing dog.

downward facing dog 5 tips PIN 2

How to perform downward facing dog

Start on hands and knees. Draw the navel to the spine, spread the weight into the thumb and index finger edge of the hands, tuck the toes and lift the hips. Sending the body into an inverted “V” shape. The head stays in line with the spine. Arms are straight, legs and arms are lightly active in an inwards direction.

downward facing dog 5 tips PIN 2

Tips for downward facing dog

You can see a video below on how to perform the pose, plus tips for downward facing dog featured in this post. We all learn differently and if a photo is worth a thousand words then a video has to be worth a 100 photo’s right? Also remember to like, comment, share and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more good karma content!

Downward Dog Too Short

One of the biggest tips for downward facing dog would be to lengthen your dog. Most people seem to be super short in their stance, needing more distance between the hands and the feet. Typically plank or chatturanga follow downward facing dog and a too short dog can cause wrist issues coming into plank.

downward facing dog tips

Lengthening through from front to back allows more ease in the pose. Plus you’ll be able to seamlessly transition to plank without causing a ton of wrist pain

downward facing dog tips

Heels don’t touch the floor

For some reason in yoga people get obsessed with touching the floor. At all costs. I suggest if your feet don’t reach the floor in downward facing dog, then let the heels be lifted. And be ok with that. It could be lack of flexibility in the back of the legs (calves), it could also just be your bodies structure. Stop forcing it. Instead embrace where you are today.

downward facing dog tips

Tight Hamstrings

By far the thing I get requested most, and something I want to address in a future post, is how to fix tight hamstrings. If in downward facing dog you have a screaming sensation happening in the back of the thighs (and possibly up into the buttocks) then say hello to your hamstrings. The problem with forcing the hamstrings to stretch is that it doesn’t help. Instead slightly bend the knees and be kind to your body. Instead fix whatever you’re doing to cause the tight hamstrings in the first place. Hint: it’s probably too much sitting!

downward facing dog tips

Back too rounded

This is generally a problem I see with men, but also a few women. Lack of flexion at the hip. Instead they try to make the hinge happen at the lower back. This causes all kinds of ugly and typically feels tight through the back body. Instead think about bending or hinging from the hip, the crease of your bikini line, and lifting from there. Sometimes it could be lack of awareness of the hip joint movement, so I suggest checking out this post. The previous cues to lift the heels, and bend the knees can help also. Sometimes this can be due to poor shoulder mobility, but that deserves a post all on its own.

downward facing dog tips

Arms too bendy

Yoga does seem to attract bendy people who ironically need less stretching and more strength. This flexibility can often be seen in downward dog as super bendy arms. They almost scoop and dip down to the floor with just their arms or shoulders. Less is more for these people. Think about a long straight line from the tailbone to the crown of the head and out through the arms. It’s not a curved line! The tip here is to slightly bend the elbow and back OUT of the pose a little. Do less, to get more strength and stability.

downward facing dog tips

Questions

  • What issues do you have, or do you see in downward facing dog?
  • Do you have any other questions about downward facing dog?
  • Are there any other poses you’d like tips for?
Previous Post: «Mildreds Best Vegan Food in London
Next Post: 5 tips to breakthrough the clutter & get focus declutter and gain focus - wundermax padfolio copy»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mari

    July 18, 2020 at 4:16 pm

    I seriously loved this. I searched a lot to find something like this. Very well explained, good photos, and, mostly, good tips and observations.

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      July 20, 2020 at 9:40 pm

      Thanks! What other poses would you like tips for?

      Reply
  2. Jessica Howliston

    November 20, 2019 at 2:56 pm

    These are great tips, thanks for sharing! One thing I am hoping to do in the new year is start yoga as something to do for myself and make time for myself so I will definitely bookmark this post for then as I am sure it will come in handy!

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 25, 2019 at 4:19 pm

      Yeah now is probably not a good time to start any habits, the holiday season get’s kinda crazy. Come back soon for more yoga!

      Reply
  3. Glenda

    November 16, 2019 at 2:39 pm

    Thank you for the tips. Especially because I’m not that flexible. Next time I do yoga I will try it out.

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 19, 2019 at 12:52 pm

      Let me know what areas you want more flexibility in and I’ll throw it into my editorial calendar!

      Reply
  4. Sarah Bailey

    November 16, 2019 at 8:56 am

    This is interesting to see how it should be done I am sure it is very easy to make those small mistakes!

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 19, 2019 at 12:51 pm

      Yep, every body is different, so the tips can help make things a little easier

      Reply
  5. What Mum Loves

    November 16, 2019 at 5:54 am

    I remember attempting the downward facing dog position for the first time. I thought- oh, how easy. And then I realised that it actually only looked easy. Thanks for all the tips, they helped me a lot to do the downward-facing dog pose correctly this moring x

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 19, 2019 at 12:51 pm

      hah! Lots of yoga poses like that!

      Reply
  6. Melanie williams

    November 16, 2019 at 5:17 am

    This is fab. I love the step by step guide. Always looking to get into yoga xx

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 19, 2019 at 12:51 pm

      Yep, I try to make things easy as possible. We all learn differently

      Reply
  7. rhian westbury

    November 15, 2019 at 11:33 pm

    I did yoga a few times on a recent holiday but my body isn’t that good at getting into the positions. But there are some great tips for the position here x

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 19, 2019 at 12:50 pm

      Thanks,so glad they helped!

      Reply
  8. Flossie McCowald

    November 15, 2019 at 8:15 pm

    What great tips! And your illustrations are super. I remember it took me several years to get the hang of this pose – I would’ve gotten into good form sooner if I’d had this visual guide!

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 15, 2019 at 8:39 pm

      thanks! I’m glad you found it helpful!

      Reply
  9. Rebecca Smith

    November 15, 2019 at 3:28 pm

    I’ve never done yoga but it’s so true, downward facing dog is the one I know. I really want to start giving yoga a try so thank you for the tips.

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 15, 2019 at 8:39 pm

      Oh you should definitely give yoga a try, it’s a great stress reliever!

      Reply
  10. Angela Tolsma

    November 15, 2019 at 7:37 am

    The bendy arm one is what gets me, I see it done that way so much on Instagram and it drives me nuts. Proper form when it comes to down dog makes a huge difference!

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 15, 2019 at 8:38 pm

      Oh girl don’t get me started on the insta yogi’s!

      Reply
  11. Natural Beauty And Makeup

    November 15, 2019 at 4:35 am

    In the morning I do pranayam and basic yoga poses but have never heard of this! I will try to do this once my backpain subsides

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 15, 2019 at 8:38 pm

      love pranayama, been doing a lot of that lately. Down dog is a basic yoga pose.

      Reply
  12. Marjie Mare

    November 14, 2019 at 7:36 pm

    I just started back practicing Yoga, I still need to practice a lot of moves and I still need to be flexible. Thanks for sharing this.

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 15, 2019 at 8:38 pm

      We do yoga to get flexible 😉

      Reply
  13. GiGi Eats

    November 14, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    I do really love that stretch! It’s so great for your back! Especially sciatic pain!!

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 15, 2019 at 8:37 pm

      yep it can be great for backs! I have another post on yoga for back pain!

      Reply
  14. Stephanie

    November 14, 2019 at 6:35 pm

    I’ve made a few of these mistakes, especially when I was starting out. My husband and I both started doing a bit of yoga to stretch out in the mornings. I’ll have to show him this because he was just asking if he was doing it correctly.

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 15, 2019 at 8:37 pm

      The only correct is the one that feels good.

      Reply
  15. Neely Moldovan

    November 14, 2019 at 3:07 pm

    I do this ALL THE TIME when I need a good stretch! Its seriously the best!

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 15, 2019 at 8:36 pm

      It really is a great pose to get rid of tension!

      Reply
  16. Chad

    November 14, 2019 at 2:42 pm

    These are amazing tips!!! I recently started Ashtanga yoga and there is a bunch of asanas that include downward facing dog. Great tips.

    Reply
    • Bree

      November 14, 2019 at 5:00 pm

      I love doing this when I need a great stretch! It really makes me feel so much better after!

      Reply
      • Di Hickman

        November 15, 2019 at 8:37 pm

        Yep, it’s a fantastic stress reliever!

        Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 15, 2019 at 8:36 pm

      Yes down dog is used in most yoga practices. Ashtanga is a little too intense for me.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

reduce clutter and gain focus - wundermax padfolio

Hi, I’m Di. A yoga teacher with over 20 years experience in the health and wellness industry. My mission is to give you information so you can be fitter, healthier, stress-free and happier (no, seriously).

RECENT POSTS

Reclined Pigeon Pose Modifications for beginners
Yoga block balance exercises for strength & stability
Supporting wrists in downward dog – Quick Fixes for pain relief
How to lay on your side without hurting your shoulder or neck
Yoga Hip Flexor Strengthening for Beginners
Gentle somatic yoga hip openers for beginners

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

© Di HIckman 2020. Unauthorized use and/or distribution of this material without expressed written permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited. You may use an excerpt, link, and/or photo ONLY if full and clear credit is given to Di Hickman with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

  • My Yoga Journey
  • Connect
  • Privacy Policy & Disclosure

Copyright © 2023 Di Hickman · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme