Downward-facing dog step by step

Setup

1. Mats in rows with space all round; everyone kneeling on the back half of the mat, facing the front.
2. Put two blocks at the front of each mat and keep a wall or sturdy chair free for a standing version.
3. Anyone with high blood pressure, glaucoma, wrist or shoulder problems, or who is pregnant, should get advice from a health professional and tell the teacher; the wall or chair version keeps the head higher.

How it runs

1. Tabletop: hands shoulder-width apart and slightly in front of the shoulders, fingers spread, middle fingers pointing forward. Press through the whole hand, especially the base of the index finger and thumb.
2. Puppy pose (Uttana Shishosana): walk the hands forward and let the chest sink towards the floor, hips staying over the knees. Five breaths, feeling the arms and upper back lengthen.
3. Return to tabletop and tuck the toes. On an out-breath, lift the knees, keeping them well bent, and send the hips up and back so the belly can rest near the thighs.
4. Downward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana): stay with bent knees for three breaths, lengthening from the hands to the sit bones. Then 'walk the dog': bend one knee and ease the other heel down, swapping slowly for six breaths.
5. If it feels comfortable, straighten the legs a little more, heels reaching down but not necessarily touching, without letting the back round. Three to five breaths.
6. Lower the knees and rest in child's pose (Balasana). Come into the dog once more for five breaths, then rest again.

Coaching points

• A long spine matters more than straight legs or heels on the floor.
• Spread the weight through the whole hand so the wrists don't take it all.
• Let the upper arms turn slightly out and the shoulders move away from the ears; the head hangs between the arms.
• Breathe slowly through the nose; if the breath becomes strained, come down and rest.
• Offer verbal cues first; adults receive a hands-on adjustment only if they agree each time.

Common mistakes

• Forcing the legs straight so the back rounds.
• Sinking the chest towards the floor and overarching the back.
• Shoulders hunched up around the ears.
• Hands too close to the feet, giving a short, cramped shape.