Yoga | Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward Facing Dog

Continuing with my ‘Yoga’ series of blog posts, after the simple and easy-to-do ‘Vrksasana’ & ‘Ardha Dhanurasana’, I am introducing one of the most widely used AND loved Yoga poses across the world – Adho Mukha Svanasana, more popularly known as the ‘Downward Dog’ or ‘Downward Facing Dog Pose’.

On another note I just wanted to mention how much support and love I am receiving for my Yoga series of posts. I want to thank everyone for the lovely comments and genuine interest in this. It feels absolutely great knowing that a topic you personally love so much is being loved even more on sharing it! This makes me so happy and more eager to share lots of other asanas.

Back to the Adho Mukha Svanasana, if you have time to practice just one Yoga pose in the day, THIS is your pose! It has a very wide variety of benefits. It may take a while to get your form to point but once you do, you can hold it for longer and the benefits are endless. You don’t even need any special equipment or even the mat for that matter so this can be practiced anywhere. For people who spend a lot of time on their desks or the computer the Adho Mukha Svanasana is a fabulous quick 2 minute break that will not only charge you up but also prevent damage to the body due to bad posture and even help in improving your posture.

Adho Mukha Svanasana { adho = downward; mukha = face; svana = dog} = Downward Facing Dog Pose

The Downward Facing Dog Pose has a bunch of benefits if you practice it regularly. It helps with fatigue, back pain & stiffness from sitting all day. It stretches your shoulders, legs & spine. Its helps in building upper-body strength which builds bone density so it is even more so important for women to practice this asana regularly. The Adho Mukha Svanasana gives you an energy boost (You must hold for atleast a minute) and is specifically helpful for people who hold tension in their shoulders & upper back by making it more flexible. This pose also encourages blood-flow throughout the body especially towards the sinuses that improves the immune system and calms the mind. It can also be used to relieve headaches.

How To Do It:

~ Get onto your fours (hands + knees) on the floor.
~ Palms must be under the shoulders, fingers spread wide, index fingers pointing straight ahead or slightly out.
~ Knees must be under the hips, hip width apart. Spine must be relaxed.
~ On exhaling, raise your knees and push your hips gradually towards the ceiling.
~ An inverted ‘V’ should be formed with the entire body.
~ Correct form: Back should be straight with the ribs tucked in. Legs are straight with heels reaching the floor. You must press down on the floor with your fingers & thumb. Shoulders should be relaxed and your ears lined up with the inner arms to lengthen the neck.
~ The core must be kept engaged. You can do this by contracting your core muscles and drawing in your navel.
~ You must practice deep, steady breaths while holding the Adho Mukha Svanasana.
~ Try to hold it for 1-3 minutes

Note of Caution: Both the arms of the ‘V’ formed by the body must be straight. It is alright if your heels don’t touch the floor initially, you can build into that form gradually. Your shoulders should not sink into your neck – they should be wide and relaxed. Just remember – straight lines. You may want to avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure or diarrhea.

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