What Is Downward Facing Dog Pose And What Are Its Benefits

Adho Mukha Svanasana is another name of downward facing dog pose yoga. This yoga is included a handstand, forward bend and inversion pose.

Adho’ means downward, ‘Mukha’ means face, and ‘Svana’ means dog. If you do not have enough time to practice yoga, then this yoga pose is best for you. To practice this yoga and reap the Downward Facing Dog Pose Benefits, you do not require much time, just you need to have a few to time to practice. There are so many ways to perform downward facing dog yoga depending on starting position.

How to do this Downward Facing Dog Pose

  • At first you have to come onto your hands and knees with your palms just forward of your shoulders.
  • Now set your knees directly below your hips.
  • After that spread your palms, index fingers slightly turned out and just turn your toes under.
  • Now you need to inhale and lift your knees away from the floor.
  • At first keep your knees slightly bent and the make your heels lifted away from the floor.
  • Lengthen your tailbone away from your back of your pelvis and press it slightly towards your pubis.
  • At this position lift your sitting bones toward the ceiling and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.
  • Thereafter with an exhalation push your inner thighs back and then stretch your heels onto the floor.
  • Now keep your knees tight but do not lock them.
  • You need to firm your outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly, and keep the front of your pelvis in a narrow position.
  • Then keep your outer arm firm and press the bases of the index fingers into the floor actively.
  • Now from these two points lift your inner arms along from the wrist to the top of your shoulders.
  • At last firm your shoulder blades against your back and widen them towards your tailbone.

But keep your head between the upper arms and remember that you should not let your head hang.

  • Adho Mukha Savanasana or (Downward facing dog pose) is one of the poses which is found in the traditional sequence of Sun Salutation. You can stay in this pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes.
  • Finally bend your knees to the floor with an exhalation and come down to rest in child’s pose.

Downward Facing Dog Pose Benefits

  • It releases tension from your spine, stretches your hamstrings, calves, arches, hands.
  • It improves your digestive system and relieves back pain, headaches, insomnia and fatigue.

Happy practicing!

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About the Author: Kabbyik

Kabbyik Mitra, a voracious reader and health writer. He is a health & lifestyle journalist. Kabbyik is a yoga enthusiast practicing yoga for last 7-year. He is a certified yoga therapist, a science writer, communicator and journalist. He has been practicing yoga and training people to live a healthy and happy life. Get in touch with him via email: yogatoall2016@gmail.com for any yoga related queries.

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