Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Steps

Start on hands and knees. Spread the fingers and press the knuckles down.
Tuck the toes and lift the hips up and back. Keep the knees bent.
Press the chest gently toward the thighs so the upper back widens. Let the head hang.
Pedal the feet if you like. Stay for a few breaths, then lower the knees.

What this pose may help with

These lines describe why people practice the shape. A pose may help with ordinary stiffness or with settling your attention. They are not claims that the pose treats or cures a condition.

Lengthens the back of the legs and the sides of the torso when the knees are soft.
Strengthens the arms and shoulders if the wrists are comfortable.
A hinge you will meet in longer routines.

Common mistakes

Straightening the legs so much that the back rounds.
Dumping into the wrists with the shoulders up by the ears.
Holding the breath.

Modifications

Hands on a chair or the wall for a standing version.
Bend the knees a lot. Heels can stay high.

Practicing Downward-Facing Dog at home

Downward-Facing Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana, can feel steadier when you think more about length than about getting your heels down. Bent knees and lifted heels are completely normal here. Aim for a long spine first, with your hips reaching up and back and your chest gently moving toward your thighs so your upper back feels broad. Let your head hang without forcing it, and breathe through your nose if that feels comfortable. Many people find the pose starts to make more sense when the back feels spacious instead of strained.

A useful check is where the weight is going. Press through your fingers and knuckles so your hands share the work, and soften your shoulders away from your ears so you’re not sinking into your wrists. If your hamstrings feel very tuggy, keep plenty of bend in your knees. You can pedal your feet to explore the backs of the legs, or simply stay still for a few breaths and notice if your breath remains smooth. If the pose leaves you feeling cramped, dizzy, or like your head is pounding, come down and rest. On days when the floor version feels like too much, placing your hands on a chair or the wall gives you the same general shape with less load.

Safety

Wrist pain, carpal tunnel, or a shoulder injury: use the wall or a chair, or skip the pose.
Late pregnancy: widen the feet and bend the knees, or choose the wall version.
If your head feels pounding or you get dizzy, lower to Child’s Pose.

If you are pregnant, injured, or dealing with back pain, consult a doctor before you follow this page. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or chest pain. This is movement education, not a diagnosis or a treatment. Read the medical disclaimer.

Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana, said AH-doh MOO-kah shvah-NAHS-uh-nuh) is listed here as a Beginner Standing pose. The body area it emphasizes is Full body. An upside-down V. Bent knees and heels off the floor are normal. The spine gets to be long.

Read the steps in order. Set the pose up before you try to deepen it. The first mistake called out on this page is: Straightening the legs so much that the back rounds. That line is there because the usual error is doing too much, not because a tighter shape is a better practice. The modifications keep the same idea when the full shape does not fit today. Use them on purpose. They are part of the pose, not a demotion.

People practice Downward-Facing Dog for a plain reason: Lengthens the back of the legs and the sides of the torso when the knees are soft. That “may help” is a description of why the shape is in a beginner library. It is not a claim that the pose treats, cures, or prevents a condition. Wrist pain, carpal tunnel, or a shoulder injury: use the wall or a chair, or skip the pose.

If you are pregnant, returning from an injury, or your back has been painful, consult a doctor before you practice Downward-Facing Dog. A safety note on a website is education. It is not clearance. Sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or pain that runs down a leg is a reason to stop and get care, not a reason to hold the shape longer. The medical disclaimer on this site says the same thing in more detail.

When you are done, come out slowly. One calm repetition you can repeat tomorrow is the point of the page. Pair Downward-Facing Dog with a short routine from this site if you want a sequence, and keep the timer as a guide you are allowed to pause.

Routines that use this pose

Downward-Facing Dog: common questions

Do my heels need to touch the floor in Downward-Facing Dog?

No. Heels off the floor are normal, especially if the backs of your legs feel tight. It usually works better to keep your knees bent enough that your spine can stay long. Many beginners find the pose feels clearer when they stop chasing the heels down.

Why do my wrists hurt in Downward-Facing Dog?

Often too much weight has shifted into the wrists, or the shoulders have crept up toward the ears. Try pressing the fingers and knuckles down more evenly and broaden across the upper back. If your wrists are not comfortable, use a wall or chair version, or skip the pose.

Can I do Downward-Facing Dog during pregnancy or if I get dizzy?

If you are in late pregnancy, a wider stance and bent knees may feel better, or you can use the wall version. If your head feels pounding or you get dizzy, come out of the pose and lower into Child’s Pose. Choose the version that lets your breath stay easy.