Health Benefits of Downward Facing Dog pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) to strengthen whole body

Hello TheAyurveda readers, today we will talk about an asana which strengthens your shoulder, legs, spine etc. This yoga asana actually strengthens your whole body. It is known as “Downward Facing Dog Pose”. In sanskrit, we call it as Adho Mukha Svanasana. Adho means down, mukha means face and svan means dog. So the pose name is downward facing dog pose.

Health benefits of Downward Facing Dog pose

If you observe, it is one of the part of sun salutation (surya namaskar). Let us see how it will benefit us if we do it 5-10 times every morning. Here are the health benefits in short:

1. Aids in Weight loss
2. Keeps mind and brain calm
3. Helps in combating migraine
4. Helpful in back pain
5. Strengthens the arm and shoulders
6. Improves Skin glow
7. Helps in recovering from cold and cough
8. Strengthens waist area
9. Relief in ear related problems
10. Diabetic cure
11. Prevents hair fall
12. It also helps relieve symptoms of Sinusitis.
13. You can also get rid of Flat feet practicing this pose
14. Very beneficial for lung disorders like Asthma.
15. Reduces chances of headache and migraine

How to perform Downward facing Dog pose

There are many ways to perform it. I will share one of the easiest way. Inhaling and exhaling can be exercised also while doing this pose. But I will try to keep it simple.

Step 1

1. Stand as like tadasana or mountain pose on the yoga mat
2. Make a position which resembles like a dog
3. Hand and should should fall straight
4. Face straight as if you are looking at some object
5. Knee and hip should align

Step 2

1. Lean front like you are going to touch the ground
2. Make hands and head in inclined way (45 degree angle?)

Step 3

1. Now move yourself upward by holding the ground with your feet and hands
2. Try to keep as much space as possible between legs and hands

Step 4

1. It should look like a triangle from side view
2. You should be looking your knees or legs

This below image shows the above four steps to perform visually.

Who should not practice downward facing dog pose

1. People who suffer with stiff or weak back muscles, tight hamstrings, sciatica or knee problems.
2. Struggling with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
3. People suffering from hypertension, inflammation of the eyes and ears.
4. Those with the chronic inflammation or injury to the arms, wrists, shoulders, back, hips, knees, legs, or ankles.

Caution: If you are not sure how to do downward facing dog pose, better learn it first from an expert yoga coach.

Here is the video on How to perform Downward Facing Dog Pose