A Beginners Guide to Downward Facing Dog

If you're a seasoned yogi, this video and breakdown probably isn’t for you. You either already know what you’re doing—or you think you do—and let’s be real, nothing I say is going to change your mind. You know who you are. 😉

But if you’re newer to yoga, a teacher trainee, or simply someone who values learning and growing—this one’s for you.

Downward Dog is often made unnecessarily complicated.

There are a million little cues floating around, but for the sake of simplicity, let’s break it down into two main variations. I always encourage my students to explore and find the version that best suits their body. Let me explain both, so you can decide which one feels better for you.

Option 1: Shorter Stance (Feet closer to hands)

This is more in line with the Ashtanga school of thought. In this version, you’ll feel a strong stretch through the backs of the legs—calves, hamstrings, and to a lesser degree, the glutes and lower back.

My only critique? Anatomically speaking, it’s not wildly different from a standing forward bend. So if your hamstrings are tight, you may end up rounding your upper back just to get into the shape. Not ideal. If you haven’t already guessed, this isn’t the version I tend to teach or favour—especially for beginners.

Option 2: Longer Stance (Feet further back from hands)

This is my preferred version for the general population—aka, those of us not born with the magical gift of flexibility.

Here, your heels will likely be off the ground and your knees bent. This variation targets the big muscles of the back—especially the lats (pictured below). It creates more space and requires less flexibility in the hamstrings, which often means a more balanced stretch overall.

I usually teach two variations within this longer stance:

• Variation A: On a nasal exhale (always nasal!), drive your hips back as if you’re being pulled into traction. This lengthens the spine and creates space in the lower back (image below).

  
  

Variation B: (below) On your exhale, feel your chest get closer to the ground. This "opens" the chest, draws the shoulder blades together, and—bonus—it usually gives me a satisfying little back pop.

Here’s the thing: there is no single “right” way to do Downward Dog.

Anyone who tells you otherwise is probably stuck in their yoga bubble or parroting what they were taught without questioning it. They have no real education outisde of their yoga school. This isn't me being rude, I am just offering my honest and heartfelt opinion.

Same goes for squats in the gym: as long as the movement is safe and pain-free, there’s no universal rule - there is no one way to Squat. Limb proportions, experience, and individual anatomy all play a role (as they do in Yoga).

To insist there’s only one “correct” way? That’s not just wrong—it’s ignorant, and frankly, it blows my mind.

So, as always:

Take what I say.

Take what you’ve heard before.

And most importantly, trust yourself.

Your body, your gut—it knows more than any well-meaning yoga teacher ever could.

Zahir Akram - Eternal Seeker

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Interested in deepening your practice or teaching skills?

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We also offer in-house Yoga Teacher Training here at our studio in Addlestone, Surrey, UK.

For more information on our online courses, mentoring or to book in-house training, email Zahir.

Zahir@AkramYoga.co.uk