These days more and more doctors are recommending prescriptions that include taking a yoga class. Yoga teachers, physical therapists, chiropractors, medical doctors and other health professionals are working together to conduct studies on all areas of yoga and health, including the benefits of yoga for an aging population.
Our posture affects the health and well-being of every system of the body, including the cardiovascular system. Poor posture and the degeneration of the spine are the source of many physical problems, contributing to illness and fatigue by restricting our breathing and circulation to vital organs, and interfering with digestion and elimination. Yoga prevents and can even reverse the most visible symptom of aging―one that cannot be disguised or transformed cosmetically―the shortening and rounding of the spine. In our culture, many people spend long hours doing desk work, driving and other activities that tend to pull the upper body forward. As a result, a rounded back, forward head and collapsed chest are so prevalent it is almost considered a normal part of aging. When our spine begins to stiffen and degenerate, we lose height, and experience back and neck pain, balance problems and many other health concerns.
A key pose for maintaining the health and integrity of the spine is the Downward-Facing Dog Pose. Stretching daily in Downward-Facing Dog removes a lifetime of stiffness from the body and develops spinal strength and agility, slowing down and even reversing the common degenerative changes found in people later in life.
The Downward-Facing Dog Pose is named for the way dogs and other animals naturally stretch their bodies several times a day. The shape of the pose resembles a dog stretching, with the arms and hands stretched out like a dog’s forepaws, the shoulders, spine and chest stretching and the pelvis and tail bone high up in the air, stretching as far back away from the hands as possible. I often remind my students that when dogs stretch, they do so with great enjoyment, “with all their heart and soul and a smile on their face!” We humans should stretch throughout the day, in a similar way.
In my classes for people over 50, even octogenarians new to yoga, who may not have stretched for many years and who may initially have trouble kneeling and getting down and back up from the floor, can begin to enjoy this pose very early in their practice.
Downward-Facing Dog Pose is a halfway-inverted position that almost everyone can safely practice. This pose inverts the internal organs and increases blood flow to the head. A weight-bearing pose, it strengthens the bones and muscles of the hands, wrists, arms and shoulders and stimulates bones to retain calcium, thus helping to prevent osteoporosis. Downward Facing Dog Pose removes a lifetime of stiffness from the shoulder joints, wrists, hands and fingers. The whole spinal column is lengthened, abdominal muscles are strengthened and neck tension is released.
Older students often report that they regain lost height after consistently practicing Downward-Facing Dog and other yoga poses. My students of all ages practice it almost every class, either from the floor, or with their hands on a chair or hanging from yoga ropes, as illustrated.
It is not unusual for people who start yoga in their 70s or 80s to discover that their arm muscles quiver when they first try to stay in the pose for a few breaths. Older beginners may have arthritis in their fingers, or wrist problems that make it painful to bear weight on their hands. Practicing the Downward-Facing Dog with the help of yoga props, such as blocks, chairs and yoga wall ropes, as illustrated (and described in my previous column [0]), makes it possible for almost everyone, at any age, to safely enjoy the benefits of this rejuvenating pose.
Downward-Facing Dog can be practiced by itself, or before or after many other yoga poses, or before or after walking, bicycling or other forms of exercise you enjoy.
Yoga postures such as Downward-Facing Dog Pose build flexibility and strength in the hands and wrists. A careful, gradual approach, with the intelligent use of props, will allow most students with arthritis or other health issues to practice the pose in a manner that rehabilitates the joints and does not exacerbate existing problems.
Students with wrist problems can start with preparatory positions in which less weight is placed on the hands, such as spending a few minutes simply on hands and knees. If your wrists are already sore or injured, you may need to wait and allow the inflamed tissues to heal. It may take up to several weeks for pain and soreness to subside. Each situation is different.
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When I see that a student’s hands are already so stiff that they can no longer place their hands flat on a wall or floor, I usually have them try Half Dog Pose with a chair and Hanging Downward-Facing Dog Pose with wall ropes, as illustrated. Then they can begin gently stretching the wrists and gradually reintroducing weight bearing in simple positions, such as getting on hands and knees.
In addition, working with the alignment of your shoulders, arms and hands helps take strain off your wrists. Instead of taking all the weight on the heels of the hands, press down with the knuckles where the fingers join the palms. Stretch the fingers forward and at the same time visualize lifting the forearms up and out of the wrists. Apply this action whenever you’re bearing weight on the hands.
Downward-Facing Dog with a Chair (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
- Put a sturdy, level chair against a wall. Stand with your feet hip width apart. Bend forward and position your hands on the front edge of the chair seat. Keeping your hands on the chair, step back about three feet until your arms are straight. Press your thigh bones and bottom back until you feel a good stretch.
- Breathe calmly and freely. Smile so that your face muscles relax. Stay in the pose for about one minute.
- To come out, step your feet toward the chair, inhale as you bend your knees, and stand up. Sit down in the chair for a few moments if you need to rest.
This pose strengthens the triceps and quadriceps and gives a rejuvenating stretch to the spine and back of the legs. Tall people and those who are very stiff can experiment with placing the hands on a higher surface if necessary.
Tip: Put a folded sticky mat over the seat to lightly pad the heels of your hands. Downward-Facing Dog with a chair will build strength in your wrists, arms, and shoulders and will gently familiarize your wrists with weight bearing so that you can safely practice these poses from the floor.
Downward-Facing Dog Pose from the Floor
After you become familiar with Downward-Facing Dog Pose with a chair, you can practice the pose with your hands on the floor.
[0]- Begin on your hands and knees, on a non-slippery surface. Position your knees slightly behind your hips, toes curled under, your feet and knees hip width apart. Place your hands slightly in front of your shoulders, shoulder distance apart. Spread all ten fingers wide apart and press both hands down into the floor.
- On an exhalation, lift your buttocks toward the ceiling, partially straightening your legs, so that your body forms a high upside-down V or pyramid shape.
- Press your hands deeper into the floor, stretching the thigh bones back. After stretching for a few breaths with your heels lifted, press your heels down toward the floor. Breathe smoothly and naturally.
- Release and come back to kneeling on all fours. Lower your bottom back toward your heels as you fold your torso onto your thighs and lay your forehead on the floor or a folded blanket (Child’s Pose).
- Rest in Child’s Pose for at least one minute.
Caution: Do not practice with your hands on the floor if you have glaucoma or retinal problems or if you suffer from a hiatal hernia. Do not stay in the pose if your back hurts or if you feel unusual pressure in the head or dizziness. Consult a qualified instructor who can discuss your health issues with your doctor.
More About Wrist Strain: If your wrists are painful, place a folded sticky mat or yoga wedge underneath the heel of your hands, so the wrist is slightly elevated and supported by the extra cushioning. Many of my students with wrist problems use a yoga prop called “Gripitz," [1] a pair of lightweight ergonomic blocks designed to relieve weight bearing on the hands, wrists, and arms in poses such as Downward-Facing Dog Pose. If you have serious wrist problems including carpal tunnel syndrome, or previous fracture or surgery sites that are stiff and painful, please consult your health care provider before attempting poses that require weight bearing on the wrists.
–Suza Francina, RYT, is a certified iyengar yoga instructor and has taught yoga since 1972. She teaches yoga internationally and is the author of The New Yoga for People Over 50 [2]and The New Yoga for Healthy Aging: Living Longer, Living Stronger, and Loving Every Day. [3]To learn more, visit her website. [4]
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