The typical way that I heard Downward Facing Dog being taught for years was something like this: “From tabletop, place the heels of your hands one hand length in front of your shoulders. Curl your toes under. Take a deep breath. As you exhale, lift your hips up and back.”
When you get into the pose there are often other instructions to externally rotate your humerus, or allow the elbow creases to turn to face each other, or bend the knees slightly and take the chest towards the shins, or “walk your dog” by alternating knee bends, etc.
All of these instructions have their unique value of course.
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But what they lack is the nuance afforded by the subtle guidance of the breath.
Practicing with the subtle guidance of the breath means that you lead with the idea that it’s the prana, riding on the breath, that animates, enlivens, and mobilizes your body. The idea is that the prana leads the movement.
When you practice with subtle breath guidance, there’s an incredible amount of nuance that can awaken a sense of curiosity, interest, and even joy in the nurturing sensations of moving mindfully. Curiosity inspired movement is catalyzed by curiosity inspired breath. Together they produce a nurturing, creative, and personal growth inducing practice. (And, BTW, curiosity is the psycho-emotional correlate of the neurotransmitter dopamine – very important for mood, motivation, memory, and attention).
Please check out this video of how to work with a breath-centric Downward Facing Dog. I hope it gives you some ideas about how to catalyze the breath in your asana practice, and I hope you enjoy it! Please leave a comment.
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I could certainly feel prana moving throughout my upper and lower body on the inhale.
Thanks Kristine, I so appreciate the new experiences you invite us into
Thanks Donna! Glad you enjoyed it!
xo
Thank you, Kristine! I enjoy the subtle breath-guided exploration of the pose. I sense the rising energy and my brain feels joyful.
that’s lovely. thank you for sharing!
Yes Kristine, I would love it if you could share more of these subtle breath explorations of asana. And the short video format is much appreciated. It provides an invitation to explore further in my own practice. Thank you for all that you share with us.
please check out my YouTube channel and subscribe – there are many similar videos!