Downward Facing Dog

It is astounding to me how a dog effortlessly preforms the yoga pose downward facing dog. For most of us who practice Yoga, this position can be challenging to hold.

If you are not familar with the pose, dogs look like this:



The human version by an experienced yoga practioner:



Recently, I learned that there are Yoga classes for both you and your dog. It is called Doga and you work together on yoga poses.

Dog Yoga

I admire my dog's ease at doing "downward facing dog" yoga pose, but I did not know that dog and yoga has become a popular practice.

Here is Brenda Bryan, yoga and doga instructor and author of Barking Buddha: Simple Soul Stretches for Yogi and Dogi, demonstrating doga in this video.

Similar to traditional yoga, doga (dog yoga) moves mimic those of the human yoga practice with the exception of limb flexibility. Dogs naturally exhibit many of the same moves done in yoga through their everyday stretching and movement.


It is interesting to note that Yoga means "union" and dogs being pack animals are definitely versed in the idea of union.