I just wanted to talk a bit about downward-facing dog, because, well, it’s a really hard yoga pose, and one of the most well-known out there. If I had a pound for every time someone told me they couldn’t stay in it, or that they’d left a yoga class after the teacher harassed them for not being able to do so, I’d be… well, not rich, but I could buy a Nandos?
Anyway. Downward-facing dog, or adho mukhva svanasana. Let’s start off with something helpful: props.
Useful props
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Some people like to have their hands on yoga bricks instead of the ground/mat – especially if you’re coming into this from standing, this can be a great option
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If you find the feet element challenging, a great option can be to get an angled wedge (cork or foam) and either use it as is or cut it up so that you can put your feet onto it
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If you have a friendly friend close by, and a yoga strap, there are ways to get them to help you find that lift
Why is it so hard?
Well, first up, any posture that puts a lot of pressure through the wrists and hands, elbows and shoulders is tough. That’s your whole body weight.
Timing
We’re often asked to go into this at the start of a practice, when our muscles aren’t limber and loose, or the close of a practice, when, to be frank, we’re often exhausted and just want to lie down. I’ve been in many classes where I’ve been expected to hold it for what feels like hours really early on: you aren’t going to get any greater benefit just because you can stick with it.
I’ve always found that I have a greater rate of success with downward-facing dog when I’m warm, in the middle of my practice, and so on. One of my practices used to be ashtanga, and in ashtanga, you must hold about a million of them throughout. I started limbering and warming up before I went straight into the sun salutations that preface the standing and seated poses, and found that it really helped me. In the end, though, that caused a lot of drama for me, but that’s another story of another time.
Flexion
Another thing to consider might be the amount of flexion you have through the wrists and ankles. While some of us might experience lack of flexion due to a rheumatoid condition such as arthritis, it can also be that your body naturally doesn’t have a great deal of it, and that’s fine too. In this case, support yourself with things like blocks or cork wedges under the hands or feet, or, you could even transfer your practice to the wall, and avoid having to make it quite so intense in the first place.
One small part of it is also just consistency in practice. When your body is used to moving in a certain way, it eventually becomes muscle memory.
What else might be going on?