Adho Mukha Svanasana Or Downward Facing Dog Steps And Benefits

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 The Adho Mukha Svanasana Or Downward Facing Dog Pose is an essential pose of Surya Namaskar and it helps in strengthening the whole body as well as making the muscles flexible. This yoga pose helps relieve stiffness in the shoulders and increase the spine and keep the legs straight. This asana is considered an important posture in many asanas of yoga posture, so most people practice this yoga pose.

What Is Adho Mukha Svanasana Or Downward Facing Dog?

Adho Mukha Svanasana Or Downward Facing Dog is a Sanskrit word where “Adho” means “Forward”, “Mukha” means “Face”, “Svana” means“Dog” and “Asana” means “Yoga Pose”. This asana is called the Adho Mukha Svanasana Or Downward Facing Dog because while doing this asana, the pose is created exactly as the dog makes it while bending forward and pulling its body. The Downward Facing Dog is an essential part of Surya Namaskar and it helps in strengthening the whole body as well as making the muscles flexible.

Preparatory Poses Of Adho Mukha Svanasana:

There are some other asanas that you should practice before practicing Adho Mukha Svanasana, and these asanas are also beneficial in maintaining health and removing many disorders from the body.

• Tadasana Or Mountain Pose
• Balasana Or Child Pose
• Uttanasana Or Forward-Bending Pose

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Steps To Do Adho Mukha Svanasana:

By doing Downward Facing Dog Pose it strengthen the muscles. There are also other benefits to this asana. See below to know more about the benefits…

Step 1:

First of all, stand upright on the ground and then with both hands forward, bend down towards the ground.

Step 2:

While bending, your knees should be straight and should be just below the hips, while both your hands should not be equal to the shoulder but bend a little before that.

Step 3:

Spread the palms of your hands forward in the bent position and keep the fingers parallel.

Step 4:

Exhale and bend your knees in the shape of a slight bow and lift the ankles above the ground for a downward Schwannasana posture.

Step 5:

At this point, pull your hips enough from the pelvis and press slightly towards the pubis.

Step 6:

Keep the hands fully extended from below the shoulders on the ground, but the fingers should be spread on the ground.

Step 7:

After this, bend your knees slightly on the ground and raise the hips as high as possible.

Step 8:

The head should be tilted slightly towards the ground and be in line with the back. Now you are completely in a drooping dog posture.

(Also Read: Paschimottanasana Or Seated Forward Bend Steps & Benefits)

Beginner’s Tip To Do Adho Mukha Svanasana:

Set your knees straightforwardly beneath your hips and your hands somewhat forward of your shoulders. Spread your palms, forefingers equal or marginally turned out, and turn your toes under. Breathe out and lift your knees from the floor. From the start keep the knees somewhat bowed and the heels lifted away from the floor.

Follow Up Poses:

There are some yoga poses that you should do after practicing Adho Mukha Svanasana to comfort your muscles after doing the pose. These are…

• Virabhadrasana 1 or Warrior Pose 1
• Virabhadrasana 2 or Warrior Pose 2
• Dandasana or Staff Pose
• Paschimottanasana or Seated Forward Bend

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Benefits Of Adho Mukha Svanasana:

The Adho Mukha Svanasana or Downward Facing Dog pose is considered to be the best yoga pose. Practicing this yoga pose has many benefits to health and removes various disorders from the body. Let us know what are the advantages of the Adho Mukha Svanasana or Downward Facing Dog.

Strengthen Abdominal Muscles:

Stretching of the stomach is caused by stretching of the abdominal muscles. By this, the muscles of the stomach are strengthened, as well as the stomach related disorders are also overcome. Let me tell you that this is a posture that has more effect on the stomach.

Improve Blood Circulation:

The downward posture elevates the hips of the body and the head is tilted under the heart. Due to this, the force of gravity is applied on the side which leads to the flow of fresh blood and due to this, the blood circulation is improved.

Improve Digestion:

Although the body is folded in half in the lower respiratory tract, the stomach muscles constrict it by putting pressure on the organs of the digestive system such as liver, kidney, and spleen, due to which the digestive system is improved.

Tones The Hands And Feet:

The entire weight of the body rests on the hands and feet while performing the downward facing dog breath. Therefore, it works to tone hands, feet, and other organs and keeps them in a state of balance. This asana strengthens the hands, feet, and along with toning the shoulders, arms and chest.

Relieve Anxiety:

Performing a Downward facing dog keeps the mind calm and relieves all kinds of anxiety. By doing this asana, the stretch is created in the neck and cervical spine due to which anxiety is removed from the brain.

Provide Energy:

Performing downward bronchial infusion brings extra energy to the body. Apart from this, it also plays an important role in rejuvenating the whole body. Apart from this, this asana helps to relieve menopause symptoms in women.

Relieve Insomnia:

Performing a reverse breath can relieve back pain and back pain, fatigue, headache, and insomnia. Apart from this, this asana is also helpful in curing diseases like high blood pressure, asthma, sciatica, etc.

(Also Read: Sirsasana Or Headstand Steps & Benefits)

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Precautions To Do Downward Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana:

• If you have any kind of problem in your wrist, take care while doing this asana, otherwise, the situation can be serious.
• While doing this asana, if you feel that there is too much bodyweight on the hands, then try to move it towards the hips, otherwise, the hands may cause pain.
• If there is an injury to the back, waist, shoulders, and arms, avoid doing this asana.
• Pregnant women should avoid doing this asana during pregnancy or only after consulting a doctor.
• If a person is suffering from severe carpal tunnel syndrome, then he should avoid undergoing hypersensitivity.
• Do not practice this yoga posture if you have high blood pressure problems, eye infection, ear infection.
• If you have a diarrhea problem or any kind of problem in the retina of the eyes, then this asana should be avoided.

(Also Read: Ardha Chandrasana Or Half Moon Pose Steps & Benefits)

Conclusion:

Numerous who do the Downward Facing Dog Pose during a succession, use it as a snapshot of rest between troublesome Yoga works out, or as a change between stances in a Vinyasa stream. At whatever point doing it, we should stay engaged, both truly and intellectually. Keep on working the method further to get the most extreme advantages from this dynamic stretch.