Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Pronunciation and meaning

Adho Mukha Svanasana: AH-doh MOO-kuh shvah-NAHS-uh-nuh. Svana is often said with a soft sh sound at the start.

Adho means downward, mukha means face, svana means dog and asana means posture: the downward-facing dog posture. It looks like a dog stretching forward with its hips high after a nap.

How to do Downward-Facing Dog

1. Come onto hands and knees with the wrists under the shoulders and the knees under the hips. Spread the fingers wide with the middle fingers pointing forward.
2. Tuck the toes under and, on an exhale, lift the knees off the mat, sending the hips up and back.
3. Keep the knees bent at first so you can lengthen the spine all the way from the hands to the sitting bones.
4. Press evenly through the whole hand, especially the knuckles of the index finger and thumb, and turn the upper arms slightly outward so the shoulders widen.
5. Slowly straighten the legs as far as your hamstrings allow, reaching the heels toward the floor without needing them to touch.
6. Let the head hang between the upper arms, breathe for five breaths, then bend the knees and lower back down to rest.

Make it easier

• Bend the knees generously and lift the heels high if the hamstrings are tight.
• Put the hands on blocks, or on a wall or a chair seat, to take load off the wrists and shoulders.
• Fold the edge of the mat or a towel under the heels of the hands if the wrists feel sore.
• Rest in Child's Pose between rounds instead of holding for a long time.

Pregnancy and after birth

Pregnancy. Adapt. If it feels comfortable, keep holds short, the feet wider apart and the hands on blocks. Because the head is below the heart, come out if you feel dizzy, breathless or unwell. Check with your OB or midwife before you start.

After birth. Adapt. When your doctor or midwife has cleared you to exercise, start with the hands on a chair or wall for a few breaths at a time. The wrists and shoulders may be tired from carrying and feeding, so add weight to them gradually.

Read Joahnna Lee's notes on yoga in pregnancy and after birth.

Common mistakes

• Forcing the heels to the floor while the back rounds. The heels are the last thing to worry about.
• Walking the feet too close to the hands, which cramps the shape into a short arch.
• Leaning into the heels of the hands and letting the index-finger side of the hand lift.

Downward-Facing Dog is the pose a Vinyasa class keeps coming back to, a place to pause between flowing sequences once it becomes familiar. At first it rarely feels restful, and that is normal.

In Vinyasa yoga it is worth shaping the pose to your own hamstrings and shoulders, bent knees included, until it starts to feel like the pause it is meant to be. It opens the short practice of yoga for tight hamstrings, with the knees bent as much as you need.

In a flowing sequence it often follows Upward-Facing Dog, its partner in the flow, lifting the hips back as you breathe out. The Sun Salutation round timer paces that rhythm one breath at a time.

Lowering onto the forearms gives you Dolphin Pose, a stronger shoulder version. Years of steady Downward Dog are part of the base for Scorpion Pose, an advanced inversion.

Downward Dog variations

Who should check with a doctor first?

Because the head is below the heart, check with a doctor before practising Downward Dog if you have glaucoma, uncontrolled high blood pressure, a heart condition, or a history of dizziness or fainting. Wall Dog keeps the head level and is a useful substitute while you ask.

Where does Downward Dog come from?

The name does not appear in the medieval hatha yoga texts. A similar shape is described in an eighteenth-century source under a different name, and the pose became widespread in the twentieth century through the Sun Salutation, which made it one of the most familiar shapes in modern yoga.

How long before the heels come lower?

Some people find the heels drift closer to the floor within a few weeks of regular practice; for others, especially those with long legs or stiff calves, they stay well above it for months or for good. That is fine. A better sign of progress is a long, flat back with the knees only slightly bent, held for five calm breaths.

Keeping your hands from sliding on a humid day

In a warm room the palms sweat quickly and can slide forward, which strains the wrists and shoulders. Spread the fingers wide and press the knuckles down from the start, wipe the hands in Child’s Pose between rounds, or lay a small towel at the top of the mat. A mat with a grippy top makes a clear difference here; the guide to the best yoga mats in the Philippines compares materials for sweaty hands.