Pose library · Adho Mukha Svanasana · reviewed by a teacher
Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
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.
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
- 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.
- Tuck the toes under and, on an exhale, lift the knees off the mat, sending the hips up and back.
- Keep the knees bent at first so you can lengthen the spine all the way from the hands to the sitting bones.
- 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.
- Slowly straighten the legs as far as your hamstrings allow, reaching the heels toward the floor without needing them to touch.
- Let the head hang between the upper arms, breathe for five breaths, then bend the knees and lower back down to rest.
Teacher's note from Joahnna Lee
“Long spine first, straight legs second. I would take bent knees and a flat back over straight legs and a rounded one every time.”
“Push the floor away with your hands, as if you wanted to slide the mat forward. The weight travels back into the legs and the wrists get lighter.”
“Pedal the feet for a few breaths when you first arrive, bending one knee and then the other, before you let it settle.”
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 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-Facing Dog questions
Why don't my heels touch the floor in downward dog?
Tight calves and hamstrings, and the proportions of your legs and feet, all play a part. For many people the heels never reach the floor, and that is not a problem. The pose works just as well with the heels lifted.
Why do my wrists hurt in downward dog?
Usually too much weight is falling into the heels of the hands. Press through the knuckles and fingertips, bend the knees to send the hips further back, and try blocks or a folded mat. If the pain stays, rest the wrists and ask your doctor.
How long should you hold downward dog?
In a flowing class it is often held for about five breaths, sometimes as a short rest between sequences. When you are learning it, start with three to five breaths, rest in Child's Pose, and build up gradually towards a minute as the arms and shoulders get stronger.
Should you bend your knees in downward dog?
Yes, if your hamstrings are tight. Bending the knees lets the hips lift and the back lengthen, which matters more than straight legs or heels on the floor. You can straighten the legs a little more over time, as long as the back stays long.
Is downward dog an inversion?
It is a mild inversion, since the head is lower than the heart. Most people are fine with it, but if you have high blood pressure, glaucoma or problems with dizziness, check with your doctor first. Come up slowly through a forward fold or kneel down into Child's Pose afterwards.