Downward-Facing... What?

Downward-Facing Dog or "Adho Mukha Svanasana"

Let me start by saying that some yogi's view this pose as challenging for beginners because beginners will put too much body weight towards their upper body or they may not have enough distance between their feet. I promise you - if you follow these basic steps, you will be on your way to perfecting your downward-facing dog.

The move: Start in table-top position, with you hands shoulder-width apart (hands right below your shoulders) and your knees sitting directly below your hips. Tuck your toes so that your toes are pointing towards your hips, making sure that your feet are hips-width apart. Once your toes are tucked, press your palms flat into the ground and press your feet flat into the ground, lifting your hips into the air.

*It is important to make sure that your hands are still shoulder-width apart and that your arms, shoulders and back are lining up in a straight diagonal line. To do this, make sure that you are pushing your body weight towards your legs. Also, your butt should be high in the air and you should be pulling your back heels closer to the ground, stretching the back of your legs. *

With any yoga pose, you want to make sure that you are continually using and building your muscle strength. To do this, you should be continuously pushing back into your heels and sucking in your stomach, making sure that your back, arms, and hands are always diagonal to each other. 

Modification: For beginners (like me!), you can bend your knees to keep the spine long and move some of the body’s weight into the legs.

Here is a short video to give a visual to the above instructions: