This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn compensation when you purchase through these links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for the support!

If you do one yoga pose today, make it this one – Downward Facing Dog pose, or in Sanskrit, Adho Mukha Svanasana (AMS). This is a foundational pose in the world of yoga asana (poses). Chances are if you have been to a yoga class, you have practiced this pose. This pose stimulates the immune system, one of the top reasons to include it in your daily routine!!

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

AMS is considered to be an inverted pose. Inversions have a profound effect on the body as gravity is reversed with the head lower than the heart. Poses in which the hips are higher than the heart or the legs are extended over the hips are considered to be inversions.

50% Off Monthly Elite Online Yoga Packages at YogaDownload. Click on the link here. Use the code YDL-50ME at checkout.

The list of benefits for this pose is impressive.

• calms the nervous system and helps relieve stress and mild depression
• improves blood flow to the brain which enhances focus and energy
• strengthens arms, shoulders, back, and legs
• stretches hamstrings, calves, arches in the feet, and shoulders
• expands the chest – strengthens the lungs for better respiratory function
• tones the abdominal muscles
• relieves back pain, headaches, insomnia, fatigue and the symptoms of menopause
• improves digestion
• therapeutic for sciatica
• helps prevent osteoporosis by strengthening the bones
• elongates and releases tension from the spine
• an all-over stretch that energizes the body
• the immune and endocrine systems are stimulated

So, how does one do this pose? Well, grab your yoga pants and a yoga mat, and let’s get to it! This is the mat I use, IUGA, and I got mine on Amazon!

Step by step instructions:

1. Begin in table position, on hands and knees. Wrists under shoulders, knees under the hips, hips-width distance apart.
2. Walk the hands forward about one hand length, spread the fingers wide, and press down into the mat.
3. Engage the abdominal muscles, curl the toes under.
4. On the exhale breath, lift the hips up and back, bring the head between the arms, lengthen through the spine. Lift the sit bones up and back away from the hands.
5. The weight is evenly distributed across the hands and the feet.
6. Relax the head and neck, gaze toward the feet.
7. Press the shoulder blades down the back and externally rotate the upper arms.
8. Press the thighs back, straightening the legs as you are able. It is acceptable to keep the knees bent in the pose. The heels do not have to touch the floor.
9. Hold the pose for 5-6 breaths. On the exhale breath, release the knees to the floor.

Modifications:

The pose can be done with a chair. Place the hands on the back of a chair or on the chair seat. Walk the feet back to come into a relatively flat back position. Bend the knees as needed to create more length through the spine. Watch this 2-minute video for two modifications of this pose using a chair.

The pose can also be performed at the wall. Stand facing the wall with the hands pressed against the wall at about shoulder height. Walk the feet back, away from the wall, coming into a flat back position. Walk the hands down the wall as you are able. Your hands can stay high on the wall. Do what feels best for your body. You want to achieve length through the spine. Push the hands into the wall, widen across the shoulder blades and press the shoulder blades down the back. Keep a micro-bend in the knees, with the hips over the ankles.

Include this pose in your daily yoga routine. Or perhaps you want to do a few down dogs with a chair at work in the middle of the day. Read my post on how to Start a Home Yoga Practice. The more you practice, the stronger you will become as you reap the many benefits! Ask any questions you have in the comments section below.