Downward Dog Pose for Prenatal Yoga

Video Transcript

"A wonderful classic yoga pose, Downward Facing Dog, is absolutely perfect for prenatal yoga. I'm going to have you come in to hands and knees. The most important part of Downward Facing Dog is your measurement so first hands and knees, making sure the wrists are underneath your shoulders, knees are underneath your hips. Now to come into it, take your hands, one complete hand print forward. Now you want to spread the fingers nice and wide to evenly distribute the weight, beautiful. Inner wrists are basically right under her shoulders, shoulder width apart. Now I'm going to have you very slowly tuck your toes, lift the hips up very slightly and then lead up to the sky with those hip pointers. Drop your head and start pressing in to those arms and the reason you want to spread those fingers nice and wide is so you can evenly distribute the weight. She is evenly pressing in to it, really lengthening those arms, opening up at the arm pits, opening up to the sides. Notice that her hip pointers are pointed straight up to the sky. You want to lead with the hip pointers, rounded back you lose all the properties of this pose. Legs are long, heels are gently released to the floor and thigh muscles are strong. Classic pose, perfect for prenatal yoga. Lengthening through the spine, beautiful. Take a nice deep inhale and as you exhale drop your knees down and then gently press into Child Pose."