Downward Dog

they're the glory poses of yoga,widely known as king and queen of all postures, and perhaps the ones most readily associated with yoga practice is the matching set of headstand and shoulder stand. It's the image of the yogi defying gravity with the tall posture of feet straight in the air and balanced solid through the delicate position of being placed on head or shoulders. The inversion poses have much to offer, profound benefits that have immediate impact on our health. Not to mention what they offer to us spiritually as well. Indeed, they are rightly known as king and queen. Yet for me, it's always those most overlooked poses that draw my attention as well as my commitment, the ones that don't instantly capture the imagination through the intrigue of their position and wide spread reputation. My own king of all asanas is Adho Mukha Svanasana, the Downward Dog Pose. 

most certainly a humble king. 

this is often seen as a transitory pose, paused for just a moment as we continue through a series of asanas, or a quick warm up before approaching more difficult postures. It's rare that we devote much time here, although it's a popular pose by name and practice, it's not one that seems to capture our imagination in quite the same way as those more fascinating in appearance. But I find myself completely devoted to this pose, deeply so for its host of benefits as well its grace and humbleness. 

downward dog pose is a modest inversion, the head is lower than the heart, improving blood flow through the body. It lengthens the spine and stretches every back muscle from hip to neck, strengthening shoulders and arms, keeping the legs form and supple. It's an easy pose for most of us to commit to and provides an inversion that doesn't call for balance, so we receive many of the benefits that headstands and shoulder stands offer without having to place ourselves in what for some might be a precarious position. It's a humble posture,  seen graceful in the full length of spine and through arms and legs being planted firmly to the ground. It's truly a pose worth of our devotion. 

there are subtle layers to this pose, beyond the strengthening and balance benefits there's the calming of the mind, clarity, regulation of the nervous system. The regular practice of downward dog helps support the digestive system, the lifted hips providing gravity for waste products to more easily move through the body, relieving us of many digestive issues. Therapeutically it offers relief for tension, headaches and migraines, with blood flow to the head increased, easing pain, healing. Regular practice also promotes better sleep, a higher quality rest. 

this is the pose that brings me deepest joy, expressed throughout my entire body, but most especially the length of spine, the energetic structure of physical form, an alignment of my most subtle essence to the base point of my existence. This is a bow to air as well as devotion shown to the ground, touching earth while lifting to the sky. It's a pose of deep reverence and again of full boy joy.

with downward dog...

body and spirit bow, 

grateful for the firm contact with earth and the subtle touch of air.

indeed, a humble pose. 

~

Peace, Eric