Adding in yoga and mobility into your CrossFit routine is critical for balance in your workouts ! One of the most commonly known positions that we do at Fitness Heroics is Downward Dog. Downward-facing dog, or adho mukha svanasana as it’s called in Sanskrit, just might be the most famous yoga pose of all. It can be the all-in-one pose because the benefits are so wide-ranging when it’s practiced mindfully and you are connecting mind to muscle contraction.
Here are some benefits of this position:
- Elongates and releases tension from your spine
- Opens the hips and shoulders
- Stretches hamstrings, calves, arches, hands
- Strengthens arms, shoulders, wrists, ankles, abdominals
- Improves digestion
- Relieves back pain, headaches, insomnia, and fatigue
- As a mild inversion it calms the nervous system and relieves stress
For the athlete, this pose is essential for assessing postural needs and imbalances. It is an important habit for athletes to check themselves frequently for problems. This pose is a gentle way for athletes to open the hamstrings for quickness and speed, stretch shoulders, and keep wrists strong and supple–for grip strength in baseball and for pushing on the offensive line. Keeping the lower back open and strong, complimenting a strong core is important for agility on fields from soccer and football to tennis and golf. Finally, the pose helps to stretch toes, calves and arches, and feet–and having flexible feet translates directly to speed in any sport that involves running.
How to do Downward Dog:
- Come down onto your hands and knees.
- Walk your knees about three inches behind your hips.
- Tuck your toes under and lift the knees off the floor.
- Allow your hips to lift up toward the ceiling.
- Allow your chest to press back toward your thighs.
Once you are here, check your hands to make sure the wrists are shoulder width apart (wider if you have tight shoulders), your fingers are spread evenly, your index fingers point straight forward, and the weight evenly distributed throughout your whole hand.
Next, lift up your heels and, with a slight bend in the knees, press your heels down toward the floor. As you do this, you should feel more weight shift into your legs. Once the weight has shifted, you can work on straightening your legs without shifting forward again. For many people, keeping the knees bent in this pose is the best option – especially in the beginning.
Once you’re in the basic shape of the pose, tune into your spine. It should be elongated. If it isn’t, one or more of these modifications will usually help:
- Move your feet and hands a few inches further away from each other.
- Open your feet wider and/or bend your knees.
- Open your hands wider and possibly even turn them out a little.
Once you feel balanced in the pose, begin to focus on your breath. Breathe in through the nose slowly and out through the nose slowly. Allow your body to respond to your breath. Try imagining the breath coming in through the hands and going out through the feet. At first, take up to five breaths at a time. You can rest in child’s pose (balasana) in between.The depth and quality of the pose will begin to reflect the depth and quality of your breathing.
With yoga you are free to move in your own practice. You should do what feels natural to you and your body. Learning your breath as you relax into the pose. Overtime this will become a relaxation pose and your mind will be able to focus on the internal compared to the external world.
References
http://www.active.com/health/articles/pose-of-the-month-downward-facing-dog
http://breakingmuscle.com/yoga/deconstructing-downward-dog-make-the-most-of-a-fundamental-pose
http://www.yogaoutlet.com/guides/how-to-do-downward-facing-dog-in-yoga