When small dogs wake from sleeping, they stretch their spine, their front paws pressing low to the ground while their back paws lift hind quarters to the sky. Each day, it is the way they greet both their conscious selves and the world. It is the stretch that inspired the yoga pose downward-facing dog.
In yoga, downward-facing dog is a pose that unifies opposites. It invites us both to push and to pull, to strengthen and to stretch, to rest and to move. Like all asanas, downward dog is about finding what is real and true in the moment. In this, it is a posture that echoes what we can learn from the ancient human/canine bond.
downward (sizing) dog celebrates small dogs for their role in reminding us to focus only on what we can control: our eagerness to embrace every day, our capacity to live in the moment, and our joyful connections to earth and to one another. Quite simply, dogs remind us how to be in this world.
When we recognize that such powerful life philosophy is beautifully parceled in a small dog frame, and that, just maybe, we can “have a dog,” we discover the canine equivalent of a superfood: massive benefits in a modern-life-friendly package. Join us as we explore downward (sizing) dog is not just about loving our (small) dogs well—it’s about learning from them and living mindful lives alongside them.
- Respecting and loving small dogs as sentient beings.
- Living thoughtfully alongside small dogs to optimize the wellness of our dogs, our humans, and our planet.
- Including small dogs as companions in daily family rituals – exercise, meals, work.
- Working toward a more inclusive, small dog-friendly community, wherever that is.
