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Downward-Facing Dog

Adho Mukha Svanasana

(AH-doh MOO-kah shvah-NAHS-anna)
adho = downward
mukha = face
svana = dog

Step by Step

Come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Set your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. Spread your palms, index fingers parallel or slightly turned out, and turn your toes under.

Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis. Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.

Then with an exhalation, push your top thighs back and stretch your heels onto or down toward the floor. Straighten your knees but be sure not to lock them. Firm the outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly. Narrow the front of the pelvis.

Firm the outer arms and press the bases of the index fingers actively into the floor. From these two points lift along your inner arms from the wrists to the tops of the shoulders. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them and draw them toward the tailbone. Keep the head between the upper arms; don't let it hang.

Adho Mukha Svanasana is one of the poses in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence. It's also an excellent yoga asana all on its own. Stay in this pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. Then bend your knees to the floor with an exhalation and rest in Child's Pose.


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Reader Comments

Isaac

This is a great site, but I'm not too happy with some of the partnering sections. One of my favorite partner yoga poses is downward dog on top of downward dog, but sadly, it is not included here. (you should look it up though, its Great!)

Linda

I use this pose for menstral cramps. Gone in minutes! I had an assistant who had problems with nausea and passing out during her period. This pose took that away within 20 minutes after she finished the pose.

Jason Griffin

Although it is often referred to as a "V" shape. This pose is more like an "L" shape. Note that the angle of bend in the hips should be around ninety degrees.

Susan, nausea or dizziness is not normal. It is a sign that you should stop. Without seeing you, it's hard to see what's happening but here are some ideas...
Are you doing it on an empty stomach? You should be waiting at least a couple of hours after eating before doing inversion poses. Or any yoga at all, actually.
And... are you breathing normally? slowly, deeply and fully.
The dizziness can sometimes be either a lack of or an abundance of oxygen. Try to maintain a breath that supports you comfortably.

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