Don’t get down on yourself if you’re struggling with Downward Dog. While this is one of the most popular poses, it’s still pretty easy to get it wrong. Avoiding this great pose for stretching your hamstrings and calf muscles with mild inversion would be a shame! It’s truly a top pick for building strength and balance. The good news is that correcting mistakes is 100% possible. Here’s a look at the common mistakes to look out for when you’re doing Downward Dog as a yoga “newbie.”
Mistake #1: not aligning your body properly
The downfall of Downward Dog for many is that it looks easy. In reality, you need to focus on creating an inverted “V” using your body. This means really focusing on getting your coccyx (tailbone) right at the apex of your form. If you’re struggling, focus on keeping your arms locked in order to utilize them in pushing out the spine and hip back. This will give you the form you need to get your legs straight enough to get your tailbone up in the air.
Mistake #2: obsessing over your heels
One common mistake is overly focusing on the heels. Yes, you want to get your heels on the ground. However, “focusing and forcing” on this aspect alone will sabotage the rest of your form. Not everyone can get their heels on the ground when they start off with Downward Dog. Some might never be able to pull it off. While some of it has to do with practice, a lot of it has to do with how people are built. It’s perfectly fine to just do the best you can with this part of the pose.
Mistake #3: locking your knees
It’s a major myth that Downward Dog requires you to lock out your knees. This can actually have the reverberating effect of blocking pelvic mobility. The fix is to keep a slight bend in the knee joint. You’ll instantly feel the difference when it comes to how your pelvis can start to tilt around to help your spine get traction.
Mistake #4: relying on your upper arms instead of your shoulders
Time to check your position! Are you noticing that your shoulders are up near your ears when you’re in Downward Dog? This is actually a sign that you’re doing it incorrectly. What’s more, you could actually be hurting yourself as you do it.
A little insider tip is that placing your shoulders up near your ears means that you’re actually not engaging your shoulder blades properly. You’re going to absolutely destroy your upper arms if you keep doing this because it’s a lot of pressure for your arm muscles to handle. You’re also not going to be able to do long yoga sessions because your arm muscles are probably going to tire out much faster. You could also hurt yourself if your pose becomes unstable due to tired arms. There’s a real risk for arm and shoulder pain if you keep putting your shoulders up near your ears.
The fix here is to focus on your posture. The best way to make sure you have correct shoulder posture with Downward Dog is to start with your hands. They need to be rooted on the ground. This then puts you in the perfect position to start rolling your upper arms outward and downward. You’ll notice your elbows moving forward slightly as you do this. This is normal! Just keep working with it as you allow your shoulders to naturally sink into the sockets while your neck reaches out.
The truth is that the right instructor and an encouraging environment go a long way when it comes to mastering Downward Dog. There’s also something to be said for simply getting into the flow once your blood starts pumping. There’s no better way to get better at yoga than booking an in-person yoga class at Ignite Yoga in Dayton!! Can’t make it for an in person class? Join us at one of our highly rated virtual classes.
