Three Legged Down Dog

Pose Summary

Three Legged Down Dog is a variation of Downward Dog which is often practiced before stepping the leg between the hands to come into postures like Warrior1, Warrior 2, Crescent pose, Lizard pose, and Pigeon Pose or while flow through Sun Salutations. Step 1 Start on all fours. Shoulders stacked over elbows and wrists. Hips stacked over knees Step 2 Walk the hands 2 inches in front of your shoulders, spread your fingers wide and firmly root hands into the earth with the weight distributed evenly throughout your hands. Step 3 On an exhale, tuck the toes, lift the knees off the earth and shift the hips up and back Step 4 Create an upside down V with your body. Gently straighten your legs. Reach your heels towards the earth (they don’t have to touch) and press the floor away with your hands. Step 5 The hands are shoulder distance apart and the feet hip distance apart. Step 6 Lengthen your spine. *You can bend your knees as much as you need to in order to do this. Step 7 Your triceps rotate back as your elbow creases face forward Step 8 Draw your shoulders away from your ears, relax the hand slightly and bring your gaze to your thighs or navel Step 9 Engage the quads as you rotate your inner thighs back Step 10 Microbend the knees and elbows so as not to lock them out Step 11 On an inhale, lift the right leg up and back. Square the hips off to face the earth. Activate the lifted leg and keep lifting it from the inner right thigh. Flex the right toes and reach the heel and the ball of the right foot. Step 12 To get out of Three Legged Down Dog gently place the right foot back on the earth to come back to down dog, bend the knees and gently release them back onto the earth. Repeat on the opposite side