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Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the anatomy, biomechanics, and cueing of the yoga asana downward facing dog (adho mukha svanasana).

Points of discussion include:

The anatomy and joint positions of down dog
The biomechanical effects that down dog has on the body
Should we externally rotate our shoulders in down dog?
What is “shoulder impingement”, and why is this an outdated model for shoulder pain?
Should we ground our inner hands down in down dog?
What’s the right hand-to-feet length in down dog?
Should our heels be on the ground in down dog?
Should our knees be straight in down dog?
Is down dog a resting pose?
How can we regress and progress down dog?
What are strategies for working around pain in down dog?
Is down dog OK to practice during pregnancy?
Do we need to anteriorly tilt our pelvis in down dog in order to stretch our hamstrings?
…And much more!