Many people consider the Downward-Facing dog pose to be a restorative one, but it is much more than that. It is among the most widely practiced yoga poses, and no doubt, Adho Mukha Svanasana benefits are great. This pose works on your full body while stretching your muscles and pepping up the flexibility. The Downward-Facing Dog pose is a specific pose as it packs the uses of all the inversions.
Downward-Facing Dog pose steps
- In the tabletop position, start on your hands and knees and keep them shoulder-width apart. Keep your hands slightly in front of the shoulders. By spreading the fingers wide on the mat, save your middle finger face forward, and then firmly press the palms flat on the mat.
- You can exhale slowly by curling your toes under as you lift the knees off the floor, and at the end, press the chest back towards your thighs.
- By straightening the legs and lowering the heels move towards them, but try not to lock out the knees by forcing them.
- The sitting bones should be tilt high and then rotate the inner thighs slightly in and up. As you find the length here, you should know the tendency of your low ribs. By toning your belly, gently draw your ribs back.
- Press the finger pads and full palm onto the floor. Don’t lock out your arms and try to straighten, and draw the elbows slightly while engaging the upper arm muscles and pull the shoulders.
- Your neck should be kept natural, with the gaze looking slightly towards the feet.
Adho Mukha Svanasana benefits
The following are some of the benefits of practicing the Adho Mukha Svanasana.
- It tones your core
Your core is engaged, and the several muscles of your body are worked on through this pose. Adho Mukha Svanasana helps to tone your lower abdominal region, and this can shed fat from your bottom and strengthen your core.
- It strengthens your bone
The Downward-Facing Dog pose strengthens your bones because it is a weight-bearing exercise. Your upper body will get stronger with this pose, and it is also beneficial to prevent osteoporosis. This position also can work on your shoulders gently.
- It works the back of your legs
With this pose, not your calves and spine will feel the stretch, but also your hamstrings. You have to work on the muscles at the back of your legs you spend the day standing or walking. With Adho Mukha Svanasana, the end of your legs are opened and stretched.
- It improves the flow of blood to the brain
This pose keeps you in an inverted V position, and this means that your heart is above the head. Therefore, the blood flow to your head is improved, and this is great to enhance your energy and focus. When you practice this yoga asana regularly, you get charged up and also have relief from tension.
- It strengthens your arms
To improve the strength of your upper body and arms, Adho Mukha Svanasasna is excellent. You have to make sure that you engage your arms’ muscles by pressing your palms against the mat. When this yoga is practiced regularly, you will notice that your arms are becoming stronger and toned.
Conclusion
The Downward-Facing Dog pose looks simple, but it can be challenging for some people because, in our modern lifestyle, we tend to have reduced mobility. Nevertheless, it is no doubt a great pose because it fixes a lot of issues that are related to mobility. Try to keep practicing the Downward dog position as your go-to pose.