Featured Pose: Hunting Dog Pose

by Baxter and Nina

A deceptively simple-looking pose, Hunting Dog pose is a surprisingly effective pose for strengthening your entire body. When you lift both your arm and leg, you’re strengthening shoulder, arm, and leg muscles, as well as upper and lower back muscles and pelvic and core muscles. Because the pose is so strengthening for the lower back, Baxter teaches it regularly to those with lower back pain. The pose also provides a gentle way to strengthen arms and wrist bones, as you’re bearing some of your weight on your hands. And because balancing on one knee and one hand takes mental concentration, it improves coordination and balance. The three variations make the pose accessible to most people, and can be used as warm-ups for the classic pose. 

Baxter prescribes this for:

• reducing back pain
• improving balance
• fatigue (when standing poses are too tiring)
• right/left coordination
• mental concentration
• back, hamstring, core, upper body and arm strength
• bone strength

Timing: If you are an experienced practitioner, hold the pose for 1-2 minutes (or until your muscles become shaky). If you are new to the practice, start with holds of 30 seconds and work your way up to 1-2 min holds. Rest in Child’s pose for a few moments before moving on.

Cautions: If you are having lower back pain, start with versions 2 and 3, and progress from there. If you have wrist pain, don’t rest your hands flat on the ground. Instead, try fists or fingertips, or rest each forearm on a block (not shown). 

1. Classic Version  

To set up for the pose, place a folded blanket across the middle of your mat. Then come onto your hands and knees, with your knees on the blanket, and the tops of feet and your hands on your mat. Maintaining a neutral spine from tailbone to the crown of your head, strengthen your arms. Then mindfully lengthen your right leg behind you, so your leg is straight, with toes turned under and the ball of your foot on floor. 

Keep your pelvis and lower back stable (no tip, tuck, or turn), and raise your right leg until it is about parallel with the floor, but no higher. Firm your right arm and as you press down into your right hand lift your breastbone away from the floor. Then lift your left arm forward and up so it is parallel to the floor. Once you’re in the pose, focus on maintaining good alignment of your spine and keeping your raised leg and arm strong. 

To come out of the pose, lower your left hand and right knee back to the floor. Then lift up your right hand and shake out your right hand and wrist. Repeat the pose on the second side.

2. Foot on Floor 

This version is a good starting pose for those who are too weak to do versions 1 or 4, as it’s a very gentle version of the pose, which still strengthens many of the areas listed above, but to lesser extent than the classic version. People who have active low back pain should give this version a try, as it’s less demanding for the back muscles than the versions with the lifted leg. 

Follow the instructions for the classic pose for setting up, coming onto your hands and knees, and lengthening your right leg behind you. With your foot lightly touching the floor, avoiding the tendency to let your chest sag towards the floor by pressing down into both hands as you lift your breastbone away from the floor. Once you’re in the pose, focus on maintaining good alignment of your spine and keeping your back leg and arms strong. 

To come out of the pose, bring your right knee back to the floor. Then one at a time shake out both hands and wrists. Repeat the pose on the second side.  

3. Arm Only 

(sorry, no photo)

This version is a good starting pose for those who are too weak to do the classic version, as it provides all the upper body strengthening and some of the balance benefits in a more accessible form. People who have active low back pain that worsens with versions, 1, 2, or 4 should give this version a try. 

Follow the instructions for the classic pose for setting up and coming onto your hands and knees. Maintaining a neutral spine from tailbone to the crown of your head, strengthen your right arm, pressing down into your right hand as you lift your breastbone away from the floor. Then lift your left arm forward and up so it is parallel to the floor. Once you’re in the pose, focus on maintaining good alignment of your spine and keeping your arms strong. 

To come out of the pose, bring your left hand back to the floor. Then lift your right hand up and shake out your right hand and wrist. Repeat the pose on the second side.  

4. Leg Only 

This version is a good starting pose for those who are too weak to do the classic version, as it provides all the lower body strengthening and some of the balance benefits in a more accessible form. People who have shoulder pain in versions 1 and 3 should give this version a try.

Follow the instructions for the classic pose for setting up, coming onto your hands and knees, and lifting your left leg. Maintaining a neutral spine from tailbone to the crown of your head, strengthen your arms, pressing down into both hands as you lift your breastbone away from the floor. Then lengthen from the crown of your head to your right heel. Once you’re in the pose, focus on maintaining good alignment of your spine and keeping your raised leg strong.

To come out of the pose, bring your right knee back to the floor. Then one at a time shake out both hands and wrists. Repeat the pose on the second side.

Subscribe to Yoga for Healthy Aging by Email ° Follow Yoga for Healthy Aging on Facebook ° Join this site with Google Friend Connect 

Read More

Friday Q&A: Standing Hunting Dog Pose

Q: Would you have a variation [of Hunting Dog pose] for people who can't be on their knees?

A: Do I have a variation for those who can’t be on their knees?! Why, of course I do! Before I get to that, let’s review the benefits and challenges of the full Hunting Dog Pose. As I shared with you in Featured Pose: Hunting Dog Pose, Hunting Dog pose is a great precursor to strong poses like Warrior 3 and is a wonderful way to tone and strengthen your upper body, especially the Serratus Anterior muscles, as well your pelvic stabilizers and core belly muscles. It’s also a good pose for improving core strength as well as strengthening the lower back. I prescribe this pose for:

• lower back pain
• balance issues
• fatigue (when standing poses are too tiring)
• improving right/left coordination
• building arm strength

As most of you probably already know, you do the full pose by starting in Hands and Knees position. You then take one leg back and up parallel with the floor and your opposite arm up and reaching forward while keeping your torso and belly engaged in a neutral arch of your lumbar spine. Usually you hold the full pose for a while and then lower your arm and leg, and repeat on the other side.

For those who cannot be on their knees, assuming that they cannot bear pressure on the shin and knee or are unable to fully bend the knees to 90 degrees due to arthritis, injury, or other causes, I suggest the following:

1. Start in Mountain pose (Tadasana), about a foot or so from the seat of a chair or another strong prop that is high enough to allow you to keep your torso and abdomen about parallel with the floor when you place your hands on it.

2. From Mountain Pose, come into Half Standing Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana) and place your hands on the chair seat. Check whether your torso and abdomen are about parallel with the floor, stepping further away from the chair if necessary.

3. Step your feet a bit closer together than hip-distance apart and lift your right leg up to near parallel with the floor, or in line with the angle of your torso, without changing your hip position or the arch in your spine.

4. Firm your right elbow joint and keep your chest lifting up into your right shoulder blade as you reach your left arm forward and parallel with the floor. Keep your head in line with the rest of your spine.

5. Hold the pose for 6-12 breaths before returning your raised hand to the chair and your raised foot to the ground. 

6. Bend your knees slightly and come up to Mountain pose for a few breaths before repeating on the second side.

Because your legs are straight in this version and you are farther from the ground than in classic Hunting Dog pose, your lifted leg and its supportive muscles will be working harder than in the kneeling version. So when you are initially practicing this pose, you may want to stay for shorter periods of time and gradually build up to longer holds. And you may need to do more warm ups for both legs before trying it in a practice. I’d recommend stage one of Reclined Leg Stretch pose to get the feeling of separating your two legs that you will experience when you flip upside down for the standing version of Hunting Dog pose. 

Have fun, and let me know what you think! 

—Baxter

Subscribe to Yoga for Healthy Aging by Email ° Follow Yoga for Healthy Aging on Facebook ° Join this site with Google Friend Connect

Read More

Featured Pose: Hunting Dog

by Baxter and Nina
This week’s featured pose is one of Baxter’s favorite poses for lower back pain. Hunting Dog pose, which is a great precursor to strong poses like Warrior 3, is a wonderful way to tone and strengthen your upper body, especially the serratus anterior muscles, as well your pelvic stabilizers and core belly muscles. It’s also a good pose for anyone trying to improve core strength as well as strengthening the lower back. Baxter prescribes this pose for:

• lower back pain
• balance issues
• fatigue (when standing poses are too tiring)
• improving right/left coordination
• building arm strength

General Instructions: Start by placing a folded blanket on the floor. Then come into a hands-and-knees position, with your knees on the blanket and your hands on the floor or yoga mat. Keep a neutral curve in your lower back and strong arms.

Next, slowly take your right leg back behind you into a lunge position, with your toes turned under and the ball of your foot on floor. Try to keep your pelvis area and lower back in the starting neutral position at all times—no tip, tuck or turn. 

If you are feeling stable, lift your right leg up until it is about parallel with the floor, but no higher. Again, no change to pelvic alignment!

Finally, consider reaching your arm forward parallel to the floor.

Hold the position for at least 6 breaths, and up to 16 breaths. When you release, shake out your left hand and wrist.  Repeat on the second side.

Cautions: If you are having lower back pain, keep the toes of your straight leg on the ground rather than lifting your leg. If you have wrist pain, bend your elbows and rest your forearms on blocks, rather than putting weight on your hands.

Subscribe to YOGA FOR HEALTHY AGING by Email ° Follow Yoga for Healthy Aging on Facebook 

Read More