How to Safely Lift from Upward Dog to Downward Dog in Yoga

If you practice any type of Vinyasa yoga, this transition is likely to be in your class.

One of the most common injuries in yoga practice occurs in the lumbar spine. Many that report suffering from this injury practice a Vinyasa style yoga regularly which involves this particular transition, so this cue is vital when teaching this transition. One student admitted to suffering an injury from this exact transition (NOT from my class :-) ) that led her to require physical therapy. 

All that being said, please read carefully, listen to your body, and be mindful in your practice. Yoga should feel good. If it doesn't, then skip the Vinyasa.

To start, let's break down the poses and this tricky transition so that it can feel like the joyful process that it was intended to!

Upward-Facing Dog

Line up your wrists underneath your shoulders and hug your navel in toward your spine as you press your pelvis down. The tailbone should be drawing back and down toward your heels. Maintaining this same pelvic alignment, spread and press all ten toes into the mat.

Begin to press the ground away from you as you lift the upper body until arms are comfortably close to straight. Thighs, shins, knees, and ankles float off of the mat as you lengthen through the upper body, keeping the shoulders away from the ears. Keep the chest broad and the shoulders in line. Remember that the front of the body is extending in this pose, so the back muscles are engaging to help get the job done. Don't dump heavily into the wrists and shoulders in this pose, use your body as a whole! The tendency is to want to look up, but this usually leads to wrenching the neck when not done properly, so I like to keep the gaze forward and lengthen through the crown of the head.

Transition

Draw a deep breath in through your nose here, then shift your attention to your core muscles before lifting anything. Keeping the drawing of the navel in toward the spine and extending the tailbone downward. Use this core flexion to start to lengthen through the sitting bones, and lift them back up into downward facing dog.

Practice this transition again and again and say goodbye to low-back pain in Vinyasa!

Anatomical Focus: Inner Quads

The weather is pretty iffy this time of year, can't seem to decide whether it wants to be warm or cold, rain or snow, sunny or cloudy. It can be discouraging to an eager gardener and anxious kids aching for some time at the park.

These changes in barometric pressure also take a toll on our bodies--especially our joints. Personally, my knees feel extra creaky when the weather can't figure out what it wants.

The inner quad muscle is what keeps the knee "lifting" or in a healthy place, and might just help alleviate some of that joint pain.

Here's an hour-long class sequence that targets that area. Enjoy & let me know what you think!

1. Crococdile
2. Childs Pose side stretches
3. Sphinx - lengthen tailbone to heels, squeeze inner thighs together
4. Rabbit - breathe in between shoulder blades
5. Place a rolled-up blanket under knees to find inner quad. You should feel it on the inside edge of the knee cap about an inch or two above the knee. Lengthen out through your heel and find that muscle.Hold for 3 breaths then switch.

6. Virasana with eagle arms, hold each side for 5 breaths then switch
7. Cat/Cow
8. Supported Side Plank - focus on the ball of the planted foot and engage that inner quad to keep knee lifting - let arm fall back and gently look down and relax neck. 5 breaths then switch sides
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9. Mountain - close eyes sweep arms up & down, shift balance between feet, feel the lifting of the knees when inner quad is engaged
10. Pyramid - clasp elbows/reverse namaste - bend front knee to come down, slowly straighten dont lock
11. Triangle
12. Low Lunge
13. Plank lower to belly
14. Half Frog on R side
15. Roll onto R side propped up on forearm. L knee bends and plants in front of R knee/thigh area. Flex R foot and lift leg 10X, lifting from inside of leg
16. Vinyasa back to Mountain, repeat 9-15 on L side
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17. Boat w/ block squeezing between knees
18. Straddle w/ side bends
19. Eye of the needle/Upside down Piegon - keep foot flexed, 10 breaths then switch sides
20. Knees into chest
21.   Bridge w/ block in between knees
22. Twisted Roots
23. Legs up the Wall

Beat the "Tech Neck" Epidemic with Yoga

Let's face it, our modern day society just does not support correct posture.

We're slumped over, hunched over, scrunched up over screens and monitors on a daily basis.

The effects of this posture have reared their ugly heads in the forms of stiff neck, tight shoulders, sore back--in short, a new epidemic called "tech neck."

Not only do we feel the effects of our poor form, we're starting to see it as well. Plastic surgeons have reported an alarming raise in neck-lifts.

How about a much more affordable option to keeping the neck, shoulders, and back looking and feeling healthy? Try these yoga moves:

Face Yoga: The Giraffe

In a comfortable seated position, bring your fingertips to your collarbone or the base of your neck and gently stroke downwards--don't pull, just get some traction. Tilt your head back, then pout your lower lip out like a really sad baby. Be sure not to jut the jaw forward, just the lip lip. This stretch firms the neckline and jaw area to prevent sagging. Take 3 deep breaths here, then release. 

Chest Opener with Strap

Grab a strap and find a comfortable seat or standing position. Hold strap in front of you with straight arms with palms placed downward and just a bit wider than shoulder width apart. Inhale bring the strap overhead and, keeping arms straight, exhale bring strap all the way behind you. Inhale back up and exhale down in front of you. If that was too easy, shorten distance between hands, if it was too hard, make the distance wider. Repeat for 10 breaths.

Childs Pose with Anjali Mudra Behind Neck

Come to a child's pose and reach arms out in front of you, then join your palms. Bend at the elbows and try to bring the base of the wrists to the back of the neck. This can also be done in a standing position. Hold for 10 breaths.

Wide-Legged Forward Fold with Divers Stretch

Talk about a recharge--this is the go-to pose for any amount of stagnancy or lethargy throughout the day. The forward bend brings fresh, oxygen-rich blood to the head. 

With feet wider than hip-width distance and toes pointed forward, join your palms behind you and interlace your fingers to make a fist. Squeeze the arms toward straight and inhale to lift the chest. On the exhale, hinge forward from the hips and fold forward to drop the head. Try to let gravity take the fist away from the body, and keep squeezing those palms together. Hold for 5 breaths, then slightly bend at knees and come up slowly, shaking out the arms and wrists upon standing.

Neck Circles

In a comfortable seated or standing position, relax the jaw and bring the ears in line with the shoulders. Inhale, then exhale and drop the chin down to the chest. Avoid crunching the neck, and keep length in the belly to get the stretch all the way down the spine. Inhale and roll the right ear over the right shoulder then let the head fall back. Exhale and roll over to the left then back to the chest. Allow the length of your breath to determine the length of your movement. If you come across any tight spots, pause, breathe there, then continue on. Make 5 big circles in this direction, then reverse directions and even it out. 

Beat the Desk Potato Blues: 5 Ways to Stretch Your Way to Better Posture

Our modern day society simply does not support proper posture. We walk around hunched over, scrunched into small desks and cars, and slouched into cushy couches that are more appealing to the eye than the lumbar support. 

Try these simple exercises that can be done at home or even at the office to help correct your posture and get that stagnant energy back into a healthy flow.

• Neck Rolls -- in a seated position where you feel stable, drop the chin to the chest while keeping the shoulders back and sternum lifted. Allowing the head to feel heavy, inhale and roll the left ear to the left shoulder. Let the weight of the head open up the side of the neck. If you need an extra stretch, bring the hand to the side of the head, just about the ear, and give yourself a gentle stretch. Hold for several breaths, then roll back to center and repeat on the right side. Repeat as many times as necessary to relieve tension, remembering to pair movements with breath.

• Cat/Cow -- from a neutral tabletop position on all fours, take a deep breath in. On the exhale, tuck the tailbone and begin to arch the spine up toward the sky. Use your hands to push the mat away from you and drop your head. Once your exhale is complete, begin your inhale as your tailbone comes up and start to unroll your spine. The belly will drop toward the floor, chest will broaden, shoulders will come back, and gaze will tun slightly up (without putting any strain on the neck). Repeat at least 5 cycles. 

• Thread the Needle -- From tabletop, gain some stability by drawing the belly in slightly toward the spine. You should feel balanced here. Inhale and lift the right hand up overhead and turn the chest toward the right as much as possible. Keep the shoulder back and avoid hunching into the left shoulder. You should feel a good lateral stretch here beginning in the chest all the way out the fingertips. Feel free to look up toward your fingers, to the side, or keep the gaze down toward the mat. On the exhale, bring the hand down underneath the opposite arm -- "threading the needle" and reach far over to the left. Inhale and repeat 5-10 times. On the last set, allow the side of the right shoulder, side of the head and top of the hand to plant on the mat for a gentle twist.

• Pendulum Swings -- In a stable standing forward bend, allow your knees to bend as much as you need to feel comfortable. Stretch the belly long against the thighs and relax the hinge of your jaw. Grab a hold of your elbows or the back of your head and let the entire weight of your upper body just hang. Begin to rock your upper body back and forth while maintaining the feeling of weightlessness. Repeat for as long as necessary for a good release. This is a wonderful exercise to recharge on those lethargic afternoons. 

• Cow Face Pose -- From staff pose, bend the right knee and scoot the foot close to your left sit bone. Then, bend the left knee and try to stack the knees on top of one another. If the bottom leg complains, straighten it like in staff pose and keep top knee bent. Sit up tall and, if your body allows, scoot the feet a bit further away from the body. Now reach the right arm up over head and bend the elbow so that the side of your pinky rides along your spine. Reach the left arm out to the side and bend the elbow again, this time reaching the fingertips toward one another. If you can, hook the fingers and bring the top elbow to reach straight up and the bottom to reach straight down. This can also be done with a strap in hands in the fingers do not touch.