Revolved or Twisted Downward Dog is a twisting yoga pose that stretches the calves and hamstrings, improves thoracic spine mobility and strengthens the wrists, shoulders and glutes. It’s not the sort of posture that you want to start your practice with as it requires that you are fully warmed up—both in your spine and in the backs of your legs. Not only is it a Twist and a Forward Bend, it is also a minor Inversion.
REVOLVED DOWNWARD DOG BENEFITS
- Strengthens the hand, wrist, arm and shoulder of the stabilising arm, which bears your full upper-body weight.
- Strengthens the muscles along your spine, which work to keep it long as you twist.
- Strengthens the glutes, which engage to stabilise and level your hips as your upper body rotates.
- Stretches the shoulder of the reaching arm, as it crosses back and under the body.
- Stretches the obliques as the torso rotates.
- Stretches the hamstrings of both legs but only if you can keep your knees straight.
- Stretches the calves, as the heels reach toward the floor.
- Improves spinal mobility.
CATEGORY
SKILL LEVEL
- Intermediate
INSTRUCTIONS
- Set-Up
Start in Downward Dog.
- Action
Bring your left palm to the centre of the mat and reach your right hand back to your left thigh, calf or ankle. You can bend your knees as much as you need to to feel the twist in your upper body. Look up, twist and press your left palm firmly into the mat.
- Duration
Hold the pose for 3-5 breaths on each side.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
- Avoid this pose if you have a wrist, shoulder or back injury, or if you have high or low blood pressure or are prone to dizziness, since it’s a mild inversion.
MASTER REVOLVED DOWNWARD DOG
If you’d like to practise Revolved Downward Dog as part of a sequence, watch Twists For Your Spine—a 15-minute guided practice designed to mobility in your spine, especially at the thoracic. This video can be accessed along with my full library of 360+ videos as part of the 14-Day Free Trial.
just to say this is great!!!
Awesome! It’s a pose I love also.