Down Dog: Ahdo Mukha Svanasana

Down Dog: Ahdo Mukha Svanasana

I have a dog, Robi, a beautiful golden retriever, and when ever she gets up from the floor she stretches into a beautiful Down Dog.  There are many variations to her down dog but in essence they are the same.  Some times during the mid day it’s a shallow down dog, just shallow and light as if to remind her of all her parts.  But the most delicious “dog” is in the morning or after she wakes up after a long nap.  First there is the awareness she is awake, it’s in her eyes, first the inhale breath, then the stretch, a deep bow, hind quarters front legs stretched out, with eyes on the horizon and even to the sky.  It’s long and fluid, like liquid, like dance.  Some times she stretches either leg back in a long and purposeful way.  Again it’s long and fluid and natural.  I revel every time I see it.  “Good down dog” I say, as if I taught it to her.  bent,

Robi does this EVERY time she gets up.  What do we do when we get up?  From sleep?  From the chair?  Out of the car?  It makes you wonder, do dogs and cats know more than we do?

How can we learn from our origins?  It’s simple, by observing.