Downward Dog

1. Kneeling on your hands and knees, open your fingers wide and grip them down into your mat.
2. Shuffle your knees back a couple of centimetres, with your toes tucked under. Engage your core.
3. Push into your hands, lift your knees off the ground, and float your hips into the air. Bend your knees to facilitate pushing your weight back towards your feet. Press down into your hands and fingers evenly, as if you were pushing the ground away from you.
4. Point your sit bones (your bottom) toward the sky, while hugging in your low belly.
5. Keep your head in line with your arms, looking down at the ground or at the level of your knees.
6. Without moving your hips or hands, see if you can slowly start to straighten your legs and lower your heels toward the ground. It’s OK if they can’t touch the floor – it’s more important to have length in your spine.
7. Your whole body should feel active in Downward Dog. Stay for 5 breaths.

Suggestion: For the first Downward Dog of your sequence, it may feel nice to lift your heels up and down off the mat to warm up. Bend your right knee and lift your right heel up off the ground as you straighten your left leg and press your left heel down toward the ground. Then change sides. Continue this walking/peddling action for a few breaths to warm up your legs.