Downward-Facing Dog Pose with Left Leg Up

How to do Downward-Facing Dog Pose with Left Leg Up

1. 1Begin in a solid Downward-Facing Dog with your hands shoulder-width apart, feet hip-width apart, and weight evenly distributed.
2. 2Root firmly through the pads of your fingers, especially the index knuckles, and press your chest gently toward your thighs.
3. 3Shift your weight subtly into your right foot without letting your right hip sway outward.
4. 4On an inhale, lift your left leg straight up and back, leading with the inner left thigh to keep your hips level.
5. 5Flex your left foot and point your left toes toward the floor to prevent the pelvis from rotating open.
6. 6Press equally into both hands to keep your shoulders level and your neck long and relaxed.
7. 7Ground down through your right heel to feel an active, steady stretch along the back of the right leg.
8. 8Hold for three to five smooth breaths, then exhale to lower the left foot back down beside the right.

Benefits

• Deepens flexibility in the standing leg's hamstrings and calf muscles
• Strengthens the glutes and extensor muscles of the lifted leg
• Builds isometric endurance across the shoulder girdle and arms
• Engages deep core stabilizers to maintain pelvic alignment against gravity
• Improves balance and proprioception on a three-point base of support

Common mistakes and cues

• Dumping into the wrists

  Distribute your weight forward into the base of the fingers and knuckles rather than sinking all your weight into the heels of your hands.

• Over-opening the lifted hip

  Keep the hip points squared to the floor by rolling the lifted inner left thigh upward.

• Uneven shoulder pressure

  Press firmly through both hands equally to avoid dipping down into the standing-side shoulder.

• Collapsing the lower back

  Draw your navel gently toward your spine to support your lumbar spine rather than letting your belly drop.

• Locking the standing knee

  Maintain a micro-bend in the right knee to protect the joint and keep the surrounding muscles engaged.

Modifications and props

• Blocks under hands

  Place yoga blocks under both palms to elevate the torso, easing wrist pressure and hamstring tension.

• Bent standing knee

  Keep a generous bend in the right knee to allow the spine and pelvis to stay aligned without hamstring strain.

• Foot against a wall

  Press the sole of your lifted left foot into a wall behind you at hip height to encourage proper squaring of the pelvis.

• Forearms on the mat

  Lower down onto your forearms into a three-legged dolphin variation to build shoulder strength without loading the wrists.

Cautions

• Wrist or carpal tunnel pain

  Avoid prolonged holds if experiencing acute wrist discomfort, or practice on blocks or forearms instead.

• High blood pressure

  Take caution with inverted holds if you have unmanaged hypertension, keeping the head level with the heart if needed.

• Acute hamstring strain

  Do not force the standing heel down if you feel sharp tugging or pain at the back of the leg or sit bone.

If you are working with an injury, pregnancy or a medical condition, check with a qualified professional before practising this pose.

Practise this for

Classes that teach this pose

Upcoming Vinyasa classes where this shape shows up.

Teachers and studios for this practice

Related poses