We begin our next series of poses with ‘Upward Rising Dog’.

While inhaling, rise up on your hind legs and balance, reaching

nose upward. Here, Sara does an almost perfect version of

the pose. Holding briefly, return to all fours and repeat. This

pose promotes harmony from nose to tail. If at any time, you

become dizzy, assume the ‘At One With The Earth’ pose, as

                                       seen here demonstrated by Brock. ‘At One With The

                                       Earth is a pose that is beneficial and can be done

                                       by the youngest puppy to the oldest of dogs. For this

                                       pose, relax all of your muscles, even relaxing your

                                       fur.

Our ‘Seated Twist’ is next and will be demonstrated by a

long time Doga student, Bradley. Sitting very still, keep

your front paws firmly anchored on the ground. As you

inhale deeply, turn your head to one side as far as possible

and hold. Remember to continue breathing. On your next

exhale, turn your head slowly to the other direction, holding

the pose but continuing to breath. On your next exhale, return head to center position. Repeat as many times as necessary to relieve stiffness from napping in one position for lengthy periods of time.

Our final pose for this lesson series is ‘Sniff

The Wind’ pose. This pose increases awareness

and develops one’s spiritual side. One of our new-

est Doga students, Turk, demonstrates. Find a

quiet and private place where you won’t be dist-

urbed. Straighten your front legs while pushing your rear end and tail firmly

into the floor/ground. While inhaling deeply, point the nose and if you find yourself doing this pose out of doors, allow your ears to flop up and down in the wind. This pose increases your sense of smell, while having the added benefit of your being first to know if human or dog has entered your vicinity.

This will conclude our second set of poses. You are now developing a full Doga practice where you can choose from various poses each day to meet your needs spiritually and physically.

Until next time, Namaste....

To view Astrid’s handcrafted items in her shop, please click on the above seal. ALL proceeds are donated to the Santa Cruz Human Society in Nogales, AZ.