Adho Mukha Svanasana is also known as downward-facing dog pose. The meaning of Adho Mukha Svanasana is a combination of three words; Adho – Forward, Mukha – Face, and Svana – Dog.
The reason Adho Mukha Svanasana is called the “downward-facing dog pose” because when you practise this asana this looks like a dog bending forward.
This asana can be practised by anyone, even if you are going to do this asana for the first time you can practise this asana.
There are so many Adho Mukha Svanasana Benefits and if you practise this asana every day, then one can easily perform and gain all the benefits related to the Adho Mukha Svanasana.
But it is important to practise Adho Mukha Svanasana Asana correctly the wrong posture can lead to certain reverse the benefits and you might end up hurting yourself and this thing applies in every exercise and yoga asana.
6 Steps of Adho Mukha Svanasana
As we know a dog has four legs, you need to use your hands too to practise Adho Mukha Svanasana.
Steps 1: So, first, you need to hold a position in which your back looks like a tabletop and your hands and feet look like the four supporting legs of the table.
Steps 2: Then, breathe in and straighten your elbow, knees and lift your hips upwards. This pose looks like a V-shape with the body.
Steps 3: Your feet should be hip-width apart parallel to each other and your hands should be width apart too. One thing that you need to keep in mind to keep your toes pointed and make sure they are pointed during this position.
Steps 4: After this, you widen your arms through the shoulder blades by pressing both your hands together into the ground. Do not put weight on one hand else this may lead to injury use both the hands together.
Steps 5: When you try to keep your neck lengthened, your ear will be touching the inner arms.
Steps 6: Try to breathe deeply and hold on to Adho Mukha Svanasana, you need to look towards the navel while practising this asana.
Steps 7: After this, you can exhale and bend your knee and come to the starting positing, (table like pose) and relax.
Remember, These Tips if you are a Beginner:
– Warm is necessary and therefore we suggest you do some warm-up for your arms and calves muscles before you practise this asana.
– Also, if you are going to practise yoga, then you can start with some of the preparatory asanas like Dhanurasana and Dhandasana before you practise Adho Mukha Svanasana.
– And, after practising Adho Mukha Svanasana you can practise some follow up asanas like Ardha Pincha Mayurasana, Chaturanga Dhandasana, and Urdva Mukha svanasana.
– Adho Mukha Svanasana can also be practised as a part of Surya Namaskar.
Precautionary Points you Need to Keep in Mind
– Do not practise Adho Mukha Svanasana if you are suffering from high blood pressure problem.
– Do not practise Adho Mukha Svanasana if you are suffering from Carpel tunnel syndrome.
– Do not practise Adho Mukha Svanasana if you are suffering from weak eye capillaries.
– Do not practise Adho Mukha Svanasana if you are suffering from detached eye retina.
– Do not practise Adho Mukha Svanasana if you have a dislocated shoulder or any type of shoulder injury.
– Do not practise Adho Mukha Svanasana if you are suffering from diarrhoea problem.
And, now, when you know how to perform Adho Mukha Svanasana, you should also know the benefits of this asana and how this asana will help your body to work at its optimum level.
7 Benefits of Adho Mukha Svanasana
1. Adho Mukha Svanasana is helpful to tone the muscles while engaging your core at the same time. This asana is helpful to tone the lower abdomen muscles, which further help to reduce the excessive fat from your lower abdomen area.
2. Adho Mukha Svanasana helps to strengthen your bones, and this is also a weight-bearing exercise. This asana helps to prevent osteoporosis because when you practise this asana it will increase your upper body strength and this also includes your shoulders.
3. When you stretch your calves and hamstrings muscles while practising this asana, this will not only strengthen your legs but also good for your spine. This asana helps to open the back of your legs and helps to stretch those back legs muscles.
4. When you practise this asana and hold an inverted v position, this will improve your blood circulation because your heart is above your head. This asana also helps to increase your focus and energy. If you practise this yoga asana on a daily basis, this will help you to relieve some tension in the neck and you feel energetic.
5. If you want to increase the strength of your upper body and especially your arms, then this asana is helpful to do so. When you practise this asana, you are pressing your arms against the ground which helps to engage all those arm’s muscles, and this helps to strengthen the arms.
If you practise this asana regularly, you will be able to tone and strengthen your arms without lifting dumbbells.
6. Some people have a really bad posture and bad body posture leads to a lot of problems. When you practise Adho Mukha Svanasana, this help to improve and correct your body posture especially some slumpy postures. This asana also helps to lengthen your spine and open your shoulders and bring ease to the neck and back pain problem.
7. When it comes to relaxing back muscles and preventing back pain problem, this asana works amazingly. When you practise Adho Mukha Svanasana, you give a proper stretch to your back muscles and this boost the oxygen supply to the various parts of your body. So, this enhances the functioning of your system.
Now, when you start with yoga asanas, remember what are the things you need to keep in mind? And what you will get out of it? When you exactly know the benefits, you do it more keenly and correctly.
It is advisable to first ask your doctor and a yoga expert if you are suffering from any health issues, (especially if it’s related to back) and only then practise this asana.