Arms reaching, hips lifting, spine stretching: Downward Dog creates a symphony of sweet sensations all through your body.

By Jason Crandell

Downward-Facing Dog is the salt of hatha yoga, sprinkled intermittently throughout class from beginning to end. Just as pinches of salt enliven a dish, so Downward Dog enlivens your body—from your hips to your spine to your fingers and toes—making you feel more vibrant and alive, even spicier. As you discover the nuances of the pose, you’ll find it gets deeper and more flavorful, so you savor it more.

Downward-Facing Dog looks so easy and so beautiful, but looks can be deceiving. This pose is actually quite complex, and its benefits far-reaching. It both strengthens and stretches your entire body and requires you to balance the effort in your arms, torso, and legs so you don’t overburden any one area. Hold it for a few breaths and you’ll see what I mean.

In flow classes, Downward Dog is a lot like home base—you do it over and over again to neutralize your spine, to bring it back into its natural alignment. It’s also an inversion, preparing beginners for the feeling of going upside down. A pose with so many benefits is worth learning in detail. So even if you’ve done more Down Dogs than you can count, these first two versions will help you rediscover it, refine it, and feel it in all its glory.

When you first try Down Dog, you may feel tight in areas you never knew existed. Your lower back might round and your elbows may bend and bow. But with daily practice, you’ll love the sensation of unfurling your body into the pose, feeling long and lithe like a dog stretching after a good nap.

Bend Your Knees

In the first version of the pose, you bend your knees, which removes the hamstrings from the equation and allows you to fully extend through your upper body. With your knees straight you might feel bunched and crunched. With your knees bent you’ll find a long, juicy stretch through your spine, shoulders, and arms.

To start, lie face-down on your mat and place your hands on the floor by your shoulders. Keeping your hands and feet where they are, shift onto your hands and knees. Your knees should be as far apart as your hips, and your hands as far apart as your shoulders. This is the correct placement for your hands and feet in these two versions of the pose.

Your hands and feet are the foundation of the pose, so they should be solid and grounded. Bring your awareness to your hands: Feel where they’re in full contact with the mat and where they’re not anchored. Spread your fingers wide and press firmly and evenly through your hands into the mat. By dispersing your weight evenly across your hand, your wrists will be more stable and less vulnerable to injury.

With your hands rooted to the mat, tuck your toes under so your heels come off the floor. Lift your knees off the mat and shift your pelvis up toward the ceiling and back toward the wall behind you, keeping your knees bent. Instead of lifting up in a pushup position, press back. Imagine pressing the floor down and away from your pelvis.

For the next few breaths, begin to refine the pose, starting with your hands. If your thumb and index fingers are off the ground, you’re bearing too much weight in your outer hands. To counter this, try to create a perfect palm print on the mat: Spread your fingers, reach through your arms, and press down with both hands.

Now try to straighten your elbows. This can feel demanding either because you have tight shoulders or you lack strength, so be compassionate and patient as you try this. Next, rotate your arms externally (away from your ears) until your elbow creases face your thumbs. Feel the broadness of your upper back and the charge in your arms and shoulders.

With your arms awake and aligned, shift your chest toward your legs. Feel your armpit area lengthen and your chest open. As you continue to reach your arms, your pelvis will lift further up and shift back, and your spine will lengthen, unravel, and decompress.

Last but not least, release the tension in your neck; let your head hang naturally between your arms. After three to five breaths, exhale and bring your knees to the floor. Rest in Balasana (Child’s Pose) for a few breaths before coming into version 2 of the pose.