Making three suggested adjustments while in downward dog enhanced my yoga routine, as advocated by specialists
In a recent Instagram post, yoga instructor Mandy Froehlich shared three tweaks to make the downward dog stretch more effective. The author, who is a regular practitioner of yoga, found these suggestions to be particularly beneficial, providing relief from tight shoulders and lower-back tension.
The first tweak involves letting the shoulders get close to the ears by pushing the hands down into the mat and forward slightly. This unexpectedly engaged the core and lower-body, offering a deeper stretch. The author also found that leaning into their hands while doing this move allowed their shoulders to open up, providing much-needed relief after a day spent at the desk.
Froehlich's second suggestion is to squeeze the front of the thighs (quad muscles) and subtly spin the inner thighs back in downward dog. This action helped the author to deepen the stretch and increase muscle engagement, particularly in the legs.
The third tweak focuses on lengthening the spine. Froehlich advises lifting up the sit bones and leaning the feet into the floor to achieve this. One way to lengthen the spine is by doing this, which can help to ease tension in the lower-back.
For those looking to incorporate these tweaks into their practice, Froehlich's video demonstration on Instagram is a great place to start. For a comprehensive flow that incorporates downward dog, the author recommends trying the yoga stretches for beginners.
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The author encourages readers to try these suggestions to get more out of their downward dog poses and to explore Froehlich's YouTube channel for more yoga tips and routines.
