{"id":165532,"date":"2022-12-21T12:09:38","date_gmt":"2022-12-21T12:09:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pharmeasy.in\/blog\/?p=165532"},"modified":"2026-04-10T10:15:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T10:15:05","slug":"health-fitness-benefits-of-adho-mukha-svanasana-and-how-to-do-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pharmeasy.in\/blog\/health-fitness-benefits-of-adho-mukha-svanasana-and-how-to-do-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Benefits of Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) and How to Do it\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<\/head>

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Table of Contents<\/p>\nToggle<\/span>

Introduction<\/a><\/li>
What is Adho Mukha Svanasana?<\/a><\/li>
How to Do It?<\/a><\/li>
Benefits of Adho Mukha Svanasana<\/a><\/li>
Risks of Exercise<\/a><\/li>
Conclusion<\/a><\/li>
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)<\/a><\/li>
References<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n \n <\/span>\n $\"Join$ \n <\/a>\n
<\/span>Introduction<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe Sun Salutation, or suryanamaskar, is a yoga practice that comes from the worship of the sun. It comprises a series of twelve asanas. According to yoga literature, while doing suryanamaskar, all muscles of the body experience stretch and pressure. Out of the twelve asanas, the eighth position yoga is adho mukha svanasana. This asana has several benefits, such as improving blood circulation and stretching the muscles of the arms, spine, legs, shoulders, and inner thighs 1<\/a>,2<\/a><\/sup>. Now, we will discuss the process of the adho mukha svanasana.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>What is Adho Mukha Svanasana?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAdho mukha svanasana is also referred to as the downward-facing dog pose, downward dog pose or bent-head dog pose 3<\/a><\/sup>. It is the forward bending position.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Adho Mukha Svanasana is derived from Sanskrit. Here adho means down, mukha means face, svana refers to dog, and asana is a posture or position. This pose is similar to that of a dog facing downward. Hence it is known as Adho Mukha Svanasana. It comes into the class of \u2018prone postures\u2019 3<\/a><\/sup>. Let\u2019s read about the process of adho mukha svanasana.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>How to Do It?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The process of adho mukha svanasana is as follows:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Straighten your arms and legs on a yoga mat or the floor and extend your hips upwards as you exhale 2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Then, lower your head between your arms so that your ears are parallel to your arms 2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Press your heels on the floor 2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Allow yourself to breathe deeply and feel the stretch in your calves, thighs, shoulders, and arms 2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Keep your neck\u202frelaxed and free throughout the process 3<\/a><\/sup>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The body resembles the\u202fmountain 3<\/a><\/sup>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Slowly, come to the original position. This is one round of downward dog pose.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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Did You Know?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Before the 18th century, there was no evidence of adho mukha svanasana. However, it was found that there is a position similar to adho mukha svanasana, named \u2018gajasana\u2019 or \u2018elephant pose\u2019 in the text \u2018hasthabhyaspaddhati\u2019.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
A pose similar to adho mukha svanasana was described in Niels Bukh\u2019s early 20^{th<\/sup> century Danish text named \u2018Primitive Gymnastics\u2019. This book described a manner of jumps between poses similar to Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga\u2019s system. This was developed from the 19th-century Scandinavian gymnastics tradition. Indian gymnastics also included a set of postures known as \u2018dands\u2019, which were connected by jumps and similar to the downward-facing dog pose.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n}
In 1920, the king of Aundh, Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi popularised the name and practice of surya namaskar in his book \u2018The Ten-Point Way to Health: Surya Namaskars\u2019. Adho mukha svanasana is one of the twelve poses in surya namaskars.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>
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