Adho Mukha Svanasana- How to do | Advantages | Disadvantages | FAQs

Adho Mukha Shvanasana

Downward Dog Pose, Downward-facing Dog Pose, or Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Sanskrit: अधोमुखश्वानासन; IAST: Adho Mukha Śvānāsana)

Downward Dog has been called “deservedly one of yoga’s most widely recognized yoga poses” and the “quintessential yoga pose”. As such it is often the asana of choice when yoga is depicted in film, literature, and advertising. The pose has frequently appeared in Western culture, including in the titles of novels, a painting, and a television series, and it is implied in the name, “YOGΛ”, of a foldable computer.

Steps to do Adho Mukha Shvanasana or Downward Dog Pose Asana?

These are the 5 easy steps to do Adho Mukha Shvanasana:

1. Stand on four limbs, such that your body forms a table-like structure.
2. Exhale and gently lift your hips and straighten your elbows and knees. You need to ensure your body forms an inverted ‘V’.
3. Your hands should be in line with your shoulders, and your feet in line with your hips. Make sure that your toes point outwards.
4. Now, press your hands into the ground and lengthen your neck. Your ears should touch your inner arms, and you should turn your gaze to your navel.
5. Hold for a few seconds, and then, bend your knees and return to the table position.

What are the advantages of Adho Mukha Shvanasana or Downward Dog Pose Asana?

These are the Top 10 Benifits of Adho Mukha Shvanasana:

1. Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
2. Energizes the body
3. Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands
4. Strengthens the arms and legs
5. Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
6. Relieves menstrual discomfort when done with head supported
7. Helps prevent osteoporosis
8. Improves digestion
9. Relieves headache, insomnia, back pain, and fatigue
10. Therapeutic for high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet, sciatica, sinusitis

FAQs:

Que 1. How long do you hold downward dog pose?

Ans. To feel an effect, you should hold the Downward Dog at least for one minute.

Que 2. Why is downward facing dog so hard?

Ans. Even though downward facing dog is primarily a shoulder-opener, it feels like a hamstring stretch! If your hamstrings are tight and it’s difficult to straighten the legs or reach the heels toward the floor, your body will probably compensate by rounding your spine.

Que 3. Should your feet be flat in downward dog?

Ans. The most common issue with beginners’ Downward Facing Dogs is that they don’t release their heels toward the floor. If you are up on the balls of your feet, it shifts the trajectory of the pose forward instead of back. It will never be a resting position unless you take your weight back into your heels.

Que 4. Is Downward Dog good for lower back?

Ans. Downward-Facing Dog Will Stretch Your Hamstrings
This classic yoga pose is a great total body stretch that targets back extensors: the large muscles that help form your lower back, support your spine, and help you stand and lift objects.