Asana · Practise on your own

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Downward-facing dog

Downward-facing dog. The inverted V where the vinyasa rests for five breaths.

Awaiting subject reviewWritten from our source material and not yet checked by a teacher of this practice. Read it as reference, and learn the practice from someone who teaches it.

Meaning: adho = downward, mukha = face, svana = dog, asana = seat or posture
Family: Linking
Level: Beginner
Gaze: Navel

Take care

Go gently with high blood pressure, wrist injury or in later pregnancy.

How it is done

1
Breathe out
From Upward Dog, roll back over the toes and lift the hips up and back.
2
Breathe freely
Press the hands down, lengthen the spine, and let the heels draw toward the floor. Stay for five breaths.

Holding it

Five breaths in a sun salutation.

Making it easier

Bend the knees generously to keep the spine long.

What the tradition says it does

Stretches the hamstrings, calves and shoulders
Strengthens the arms

As our source describes it. This is not a medical claim.

Balasana
Child's pose
Child's pose. Kneeling and folding forward to rest, the forehead to the floor.
Forward bend · BeginnerOn your own
Variations: Extended child's pose

Sources and tradition

YOG Union App Content Map, 2 November 2026, p. 4

Also known as Downdog, Downward facing dog.

Awaiting subject review · revision 1 · updated 5 November 2026