What is the difference between Dolphin Pose and Downward Dog?

In Downward Dog you support yourself on straight arms and flat hands, while in Dolphin Pose the forearms rest on the floor with the elbows bent. The shape is the same upside-down V, but Dolphin takes the load off the wrists and asks more of the shoulders, so many people find it harder.

Can I do Dolphin Pose if Downward Dog hurts my wrists?

Usually, yes. With the forearms on the floor the wrists stay flat and carry little weight, which is why Dolphin is a common substitute for Downward Dog, but it is not a fix if the pain comes from the shoulders.

Do my heels need to touch the floor?

No. Most people keep the heels lifted in Dolphin, often even those whose heels reach the floor in Downward Dog. A long spine with the hips high matters more than straight legs or grounded heels, so bend the knees whenever the back starts to round.

Should I clasp my hands or keep my palms flat?

Both are common. Clasping the hands turns the forearms into a triangle that many people find easier to keep steady, while parallel forearms with flat palms make the shoulders work harder to keep the elbows in place.

What is a Dolphin Push-Up?

It is a dynamic variation in which you shift forward from Dolphin Pose until your chin moves past your hands and your body is close to a forearm plank, then push back into the pose. It adds more shoulder and core work than the static hold and is a common next step once the pose feels steady.

How long should I hold Dolphin Pose?

Most classes hold it for 5 to 10 slow breaths. Beginners get more from two or three shorter holds with the chest lifted than from one long hold where the shoulders sink toward the floor.

Dolphin Pose

What Is the Dolphin Pose?

Dolphin Pose is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders and also engages the upper back, the triceps and the core, while stretching the hamstrings and calves. It is a beginner-level movement held in an upside-down V shape on the forearms, with the hips lifted high, the legs reaching back and the head hanging between the upper arms. Known in Sanskrit as Ardha Pincha Mayurasana, it appears in most styles of yoga and is one of the standard preparations for forearm balances.

With the forearms on the floor, the arms sit in a deep overhead position, and the shoulders have to keep pushing the floor away to hold the chest lifted and the upper back from sagging. That makes the pose a sustained strength hold for the shoulders and the muscles that control the shoulder blades, and at the same time a stretch for the lats, the backs of the upper arms, the hamstrings and the calves. The abdominals work steadily to keep the spine long between the shoulders and the hips.

Dolphin Pose is a close relative of Downward Dog, with the forearms on the floor instead of the hands. Taking the weight off the wrists makes it a common substitute for people who find Downward Dog uncomfortable on the wrists, but the bent elbows bring the shoulders closer to the floor and ask for more shoulder strength and overhead mobility, so many people find it harder. Interlacing the fingers turns the forearms into a triangle that some people find easier to keep stable, while parallel forearms with the palms flat, as shown here, ask more of the shoulders to keep the elbows from drifting apart.

In a yoga class, Dolphin usually serves as a building block for inversions. It trains the forearm-and-shoulder base used in Forearm Stand (Pincha Mayurasana) and in Supported Headstand, and walking the feet in toward the elbows rehearses stacking the hips over the shoulders. Outside yoga, trainers use it as a shoulder mobility and strength drill in warm-ups or cool-downs, especially for clients working toward handstand or overhead work.

Dolphin Pose suits beginners with reasonable shoulder mobility and anyone who wants an upper-body hold that is gentle on the wrists. If the full pose is too hard, keep the knees bent, lift the forearms onto yoga blocks, or keep the knees on the floor and simply lift the chest away from the floor on the forearms. Holding a forearm Plank and practicing Downward Dog build the shoulder and core strength the pose needs.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Deltoid: Primary
Serratus Anterior: High
Latissimus Dorsi: Medium
Lower Trapezius: Medium
Triceps Brachii (Long Head): Medium
Upper Trapezius: Medium
Biceps Femoris: Low
Erector Spinae: Low
Gastrocnemius (Medial Head): Low
Rectus Abdominis: Low

Instructions

Start on your hands and knees on a mat, with your knees under your hips.
Lower your forearms to the floor with your elbows directly under your shoulders and shoulder-width apart.
Keep your forearms parallel, palms flat on the floor and fingers spread, pointing straight ahead.
Press your forearms and palms firmly into the floor and push your chest away from it, so your upper back does not sag between your shoulders.
Tuck your toes under and lift your hips toward the ceiling, keeping your knees bent at first so your spine can lengthen.
Straighten your legs as far as you can without your lower back rounding, with your feet hip-width apart and your heels lifted.
Let your head hang between your upper arms with your neck relaxed, keeping the top of your head off the floor.
Hold for 5 to 10 slow breaths, keeping your elbows from sliding apart and your hips lifting up and back.
Lower your knees to the floor to come out, and rest in Child Pose.

Common Mistakes

Elbows sliding apart
Letting the elbows drift wider than the shoulders drops the chest toward the floor and takes away the stable base the pose relies on.
Sinking into the shoulders
Letting the chest sag and the shoulders creep toward the ears takes the work out of the shoulder muscles and crowds the front of the shoulders.
Rounding the back to straighten the legs
Forcing the knees straight with tight hamstrings rounds the lower back and pulls the hips down instead of lengthening the spine.
Resting the head on the floor
Letting the head take weight loads the neck, which should hang relaxed between the upper arms.
Forearms angling in
Bringing the hands together while the elbows stay wide pulls the forearms out of parallel and makes the elbows more likely to slide out.
Holding the breath
Bracing by holding the breath shortens the hold and builds tension in the neck and shoulders instead of steady effort.

Injuries

Dolphin Pose is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The main strain points are the shoulders, which carry much of the body weight at the end of their overhead range, the neck if the head drops onto the floor, and the lower back when tight hamstrings pull it into a rounded position. Because the head hangs below the heart, the pose is best avoided with glaucoma, a detached retina or unmedicated high blood pressure, and anyone with a current shoulder, neck or arm injury should check with a professional before practicing it.

Keep the elbows directly under the shoulders and shoulder-width apart, and keep pressing the forearms into the floor so the chest lifts and the shoulders stay away from the ears. Bend the knees as much as you need to keep the spine long, and let the head hang freely without resting it on the floor.

To make the pose easier, keep the knees bent throughout, place the forearms on yoga blocks to shift more weight into the feet, or keep the knees on the floor and work only on lifting the chest. A version with the forearms against a wall gives the same shoulder opening with far less weight on the arms. To progress, hold for more breaths, walk the feet closer to the elbows, lift one leg at a time, or move on to dolphin push-ups and Forearm Stand preparation. Pike Push-Up is a natural next step for building pressing strength in a similar shape.

Come out of the pose if you feel a sharp or pinching pain in the front or top of the shoulder, numbness or tingling in the arms or hands, or pressure in the head or eyes, dizziness or a headache. A strong stretch along the backs of the legs and a burning feeling in the shoulders during a long hold are normal; joint pain is not.

Overview

Primary Focus: Shoulders
Equipment: Body weight
Modality: Yoga
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Other Names for the Dolphin Pose

The Dolphin Pose is also known as:

Ardha Pincha Mayurasana

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between Dolphin Pose and Downward Dog?: In Downward Dog you support yourself on straight arms and flat hands, while in Dolphin Pose the forearms rest on the floor with the elbows bent. The shape is the same upside-down V, but Dolphin takes the load off the wrists and asks more of the shoulders, so many people find it harder.
Q: Can I do Dolphin Pose if Downward Dog hurts my wrists?: Usually, yes. With the forearms on the floor the wrists stay flat and carry little weight, which is why Dolphin is a common substitute for Downward Dog, but it is not a fix if the pain comes from the shoulders.
Q: Do my heels need to touch the floor?: No. Most people keep the heels lifted in Dolphin, often even those whose heels reach the floor in Downward Dog. A long spine with the hips high matters more than straight legs or grounded heels, so bend the knees whenever the back starts to round.
Q: Should I clasp my hands or keep my palms flat?: Both are common. Clasping the hands turns the forearms into a triangle that many people find easier to keep steady, while parallel forearms with flat palms make the shoulders work harder to keep the elbows in place.
Q: What is a Dolphin Push-Up?: It is a dynamic variation in which you shift forward from Dolphin Pose until your chin moves past your hands and your body is close to a forearm plank, then push back into the pose. It adds more shoulder and core work than the static hold and is a common next step once the pose feels steady.
Q: How long should I hold Dolphin Pose?: Most classes hold it for 5 to 10 slow breaths. Beginners get more from two or three shorter holds with the chest lifted than from one long hold where the shoulders sink toward the floor.