Photo of Lainie Devina and Holli Rabishaw at YogaWorks Tarzana by Jeff Skeirik/Rawtographer (Holli and Lainie are wearing clothing by Shama Jade)
The shoulder is the most mobile and at the same time arguably the most vulnerable joint in the body. One of the most common yoga poses, Downward Facing Dog, can be treacherous if your shoulders are not properly prepped or your anatomy is not compatible with the shape. While there is definitely a standard human “structure,” the effects of daily living and each person’s postural habits create body blind spots (points of weakness and imbalance), so not every pose is possible for every body.
Many yoga poses, while common, are so extreme that they will pull the body out of alignment because the architecture of the pose is not suitable for the person attempting the pose. If you do poses (or any exercise, for that matter) without knowing whether you should even be doing those particular poses, much less doing them with improper form and posture, you will eventually wear out your tissues and create pain.
How do you determine if your anatomical structure is suited for Downward Facing Dog? Check out the video below to assess the temperament of your Downward Facing Dog and learn an alternate pose to strengthen your shoulders.
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Jill Miller is creator of the corrective exercise format Yoga Tune Up®, the myofascial self-care format, The Roll Model® Method, and author of The Roll Model: A Step-by-Step Guide to Erase Pain, Improve Mobility & Live Better in Your Body. She is currently the Anatomy columnist for Yoga Journal and has presented case studies at the Fascia Congress and the International Symposium of Yoga Therapists, and teaches at yoga and fitness conferences worldwide. Learn more at www.yogatuneup.com