Downward Dog Pose

"Downward dog" redirects here. For the television series, see Downward Dog (TV series).

Downward Dog Pose
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Downward Dog Pose or Downward-facing Dog Pose, also called Adho Mukha Svanasana (Sanskrit: अधोमुखश्वानासन; IAST: Adho Mukha Śvānāsana),[1][2][3] is an inversion asana, often practised as part of a flowing sequence of poses, especially Surya Namaskar, the Salute to the Sun.[4] The asana is commonly used in modern yoga as exercise. The asana does not have formally named variations, but several playful variants are used to assist beginning practitioners to become comfortable in the pose.

Downward Dog stretches the hamstring and calf muscles in the backs of the legs, and builds strength in the shoulders. Some popular sites have advised against it during pregnancy, but an experimental study of pregnant women found it beneficial.[5]

Downward Dog has been called "deservedly one of yoga's most widely recognized yoga poses"[6] and the "quintessential yoga pose".[7] As such it is often the asana of choice when yoga is depicted in film, literature, and advertising. The pose has frequently appeared in Western culture, including in the titles of novels, a painting, and a television series, and it is implied in the commercial name, "YOGΛ", of a foldable computer.

  1. ^ "Downward-Facing Dog". Yoga Journal. Archived from the original on 7 March 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  2. ^ VanEs, Howard Allan (12 November 2002). Beginning Yoga: A Practice Manual. Letsdoyoga.com. p. 163. ISBN 978-0-9722094-0-3.
  3. ^ Calhoun, Yael; Calhoun, Matthew R. (June 2006). Create a Yoga Practice for Kids: Fun, Flexibility, And Focus. Sunstone Press. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-86534-490-7.
  4. ^ "Adho Mukha Shvanasana". Ashtanga Yoga. Archived from the original on 23 April 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference PolisGussman2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Anon (28 August 2007). "Downward-Facing Dog". Yoga Journal. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference McLennan 2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).