AdhoMukh Svanasana or Downward Facing Dog Pose

How To Do Adho Mukha Svanasana

  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.

How to deepen this yoga stretch?
Keep your arms perpendicular to the floor.

Uses of Adhomukh Svanasana

  1. This asana stretches the shoulders, hands, hamstrings, calves, and arches of the feet while strengthening the arms, legs, and ankles.
  2. Adhomukh Svanasana is great for reducing stiffness in the shoulder blades and arthritis in the shoulder joints, relieving pain in the heels, and softening calcaneal spurs.
  3.  It gently stimulates the nerves and slows down the heartbeat. And if you’re a woman going through hot flashes during menopause, this posture gives some relief.

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