Yoga After 40: The Simple Alignment Technique That Transforms Your Energy

Adho Mukha Svanasana

So many of my students over 40 come to me saying: “Isabel, I just feel tight all the time — like my body doesn’t bounce back the way it used to.”

And they’re right. After 40, our connective tissues (fascia), muscles, and even our nervous system respond differently. We can’t bully our way into postures the way we maybe once did. But that’s not a bad thing. It’s actually an invitation to practise more intelligently — with alignment, awareness and support.

And there’s one pose that demonstrates this beautifully: Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog).

Why alignment is everything in Downward Dog

Downward Dog is one of yoga’s most recognisable poses — but it’s also one of the most commonly “pushed through.” Without alignment, people end up with sore wrists, tight shoulders, or a rounded back that leaves them feeling more drained than energised.

But with simple alignment tweaks, this pose becomes deeply restorative and energising, especially after 40.

A simple alignment shift you can try today

Next time you come into Adho Mukha Svanasana, try this:

1. Start from your foundation. Spread your fingers wide and press evenly through the whole hand — especially the base of your index finger. This takes pressure out of the wrists.

2. Lift from your sitting bones. Instead of pushing your heels to the floor, think of lengthening your spine upwards and back, as if your tailbone is reaching to the sky.

3. Soften your knees. Let them bend slightly so your back can fully elongate — this takes the strain out of hamstrings and shifts the focus into spaciousness through the spine.

4. Let the head hang. Release the neck, soften the jaw, and breathe slowly.

Stay for 5–10 breaths and simply notice what shifts.

What the science says

Recent research shows that when we practise yoga with supportive alignment, we:

• Stimulate the vagus nerve, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system — our body’s natural “rest and digest” mode (Streeter et al., 2012, Frontiers in Psychiatry).

• Hydrate and mobilise fascia, the connective tissue that often stiffens with age, improving flexibility and reducing chronic pain (Schleip, 2021, Fascia in Sport and Movement).

• Reduce cortisol levels, the stress hormone that drains our energy and impacts sleep (Pascoe et al., 2017, Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine).

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So it’s not just about “stretching.” With alignment, Downward Dog becomes a full-body nervous system reset.

The deeper benefit

Many of my students describe the shift like this:

“It feels like the fog has lifted. I can breathe again, and my whole body feels lighter.”

That’s the power of alignment. You’re no longer fighting your body — you’re working with it. And from that place, energy, ease and clarity naturally return.

✨ Who knows? You might discover your own “A-Ha” moment in Downward Dog — one that ripples into the way you move, rest and show up in life.