Uploaded January 2021 | Updated September 2026, 20 minutes ago

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Downward Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana, is one of the most commonly practiced yoga poses. Down Dog is a foundational yoga pose, and is also one of the poses in the traditional Sun Salutation (or Surya Namaskar) series.

At first, Downward Dog will feel like a challenging pose, and it should! It takes a good amount of arm and leg strength, and also requires several key points of alignment to make sure you’re practicing it correctly and safely so you can get the most benefit out of the pose.

Here's How to Do Downward Dog:

✅ Arms and legs should remain straight so your body looks like an upside-down V

✅ Spread your fingers wide so the middle finger points to the front corners of your mat

✅ Ears should be level with your biceps so that your neck is a continuation of your spine

✅ Suck your abdomen in and up

✅ Stretch your heels down towards the mat

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