Visualize a dog slowly waking up while moving his front paws forward, stretching fully, and then simultaneously arching his hind end up into the air.

Although most dogs will have a placid happy look on their faces while stretching into this pose, we humans may feel as if we look less than dignified!

Holding this pose for five breaths, while constantly being encouraged to keep your palms flat down, your tail raised as high as you can but reaching for the back of the room at the same time, and then of course stretching down through your calves -- is a lesson in patience as well as in letting go!

Once again, I learned that I can find the strength I need to sustain holding up my body when I use my breath to surrender into the pose. I can mutter under my breath about muscle pain, or i can choose to focus on stretching my arms outward and my spine upwards and back while simultaneously pulling energy down and out the balls of my feet.

The icing on the cake after achieving a good Downward Dog pose is the blessed relief one feels When You Relax Into The Child’s Pose, after every fiber of your being has been engaged.

Just open up your heart and say, ''Ahhhhhhhhhhh!''.