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| Pose: Down Dog Prep Pose: A physical therapist's view on how yoga applies to everyday life |
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by Lisa B. Minn, PT - December 6, 2011
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Provided by The Pragmatic Yogi
 This is not a classic pose but a therapeutic posture created by Ginger Garner of Professional Yoga therapy. This pose is great for beginners as well as experienced yogis to practice postural awareness and improve core strength. This pose is best done with a teacher or partner who can observe and give you feedback about your spinal alignment because even the most experienced yogis are often not fully aware of subtle shifts in posture. You can use a mirror for gauging your own alignment but this is limited because you can not observe your posture from different angles and because turning your head to look in the mirror may affect your alignment.
Muscles Strengthened: Serratus anterior, pectorals, triceps, hamstrings, quadriceps, transverse abdominus, errector spinae (including lumbar multifidi)
Points of Body Awareness:
*Is the spine in neutral position: small inner curve in the the small of the back, small outer curve between the shoulder blades, small inner curve at neck?
*Before lifting the knees, be sure the the hands and knees are in optimal alignment:
- The shoulders are aligned directly above the wrists.
- Elbows are strait but not locked out.
- Fingers actively spread, with the index finger pointing strait ahead.
- Hips are aligned directly above the knees.
- The toes are curled under, preparing to take weight onto the balls of the feet.
*Exhale and draw the navel in toward your spine to activate the transverse abdominis muscle. Inhale and maintain that activation. Exhale and lift the knees one inch off the mat.
*Is your spine still in neutral position after you lift the knees? Most people will lose the inward curve of the lumbar spine (lordosis). Many will also increase the curvature of the middle spine (thoracic kyphosis). Some people will collapse more in the middle spine.
*Can you hold neutral spine position with the knees hovering one inch off the mat for at least 3 deep, slow breaths? (TATD breath cycles)
To Challenge:
*Once you’ve mastered the ability move into the pose and hold neutral spine, work on endurance by holding longer and longer. Progress to 5 breath cycles, all the way up to 10 or even 15.
*Release any unnecessary tension especially gripping in the neck, jaw, or gluteal muscles.
*Once you feel confident with static stabilization, try adding some semi-dynamic work. One way to do this is to learn to transition to a bent-knee down dog without losing neutral spine position.
* Another way to work on semi-dynamic stability is to try isolating scapular protraction and retraction while maintaining neutral spine.
*You can also try doing pelvic tilts with the knees hovering while maintaining stability in the cervical/thoracic spine.
PT Notes:
This is a great exercise for balancing co-contraction of core muscle groups. It is also a good pose to use for assessment of how the muscles are functioning. If the superficial abdominals are overpowering the spinal extensors, you will see a loss of lordosis. This will happen to most people when they first try the pose but they should be able to correct this with minimal cueing. If they can not correct it, it might be an indication of weakness of the spinal extensors or an inability to inhibit the rectus abdominus.
If you observe loss of the normal kyphosis, this may also be due to weakness of the spinal extensors as well as weakness or inhibition of serratus anterior. Excessive tension in the neck and shoulders might be due to a pattern of accessory muscle breathing and a lack of diaphragmatic breathing.
Down Dog Prep Pose is safe for most people but is obviously be contraindicated for those with acute injuries of the spine and extremities or during exacerbation of chronic injuries.
Lisa Minn is a licensed physical therapist and yoga enthusiast. She has been incorporating aspects of Yoga and Pilates into her physical therapy practice since 2001 and became a certified yoga instructor in 2004. Her experience ranges from working with athletes at West Point and Georgetown to instructing elderly and wheelchair-bound clients in the fundamentals of Hatha Yoga. Lisa has conducted several lectures and workshops across the US, as well as in Honduras and Peru, where she volunteered her services. She currently resides and practices in Northern California. This and other articles by Lisa can be found at The Pragmatic Yogi.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
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