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Adho
Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)
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Posture |
(AH-doh MOO-kah shvah-NAHS-anna)
adho = downward
mukha = face
svana = dog
Adho Mukha Svanasana is one of the poses in
the traditional Sun Salutation sequence. It's also an excellent yoga asana all
on its own.
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Procedure |
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Come onto the floor on your hands and
knees. Set your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly
forward of your shoulders. Spread your palms, index fingers parallel or
slightly turned out, and turn your toes under. |
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Exhale and lift your knees away from
the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted
away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your
pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis. Against this resistance,
lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles
draw the inner legs up into the groins. |
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Then with an exhalation, push your top
thighs back and stretch your heels onto or down toward the floor.
Straighten your knees but be sure not to lock them. Firm the outer
thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly. Narrow the front of
the pelvis. |
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Firm the outer arms and press the
bases of the index fingers actively into the floor. From these two
points lift along your inner arms from the wrists to the tops of the
shoulders. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them
and draw them toward the tailbone. Keep the head between the upper arms;
don't let it hang. |
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Releasing |
To come out of this pose
bend your knees to the floor with an exhalation and rest in Child's Pose. |
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Duration |
| Stay in this pose anywhere from 1 to
3 minutes. |
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Anatomical Focus |
| Upper back |
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Benefits |
| Calms the brain and helps relieve
stress and mild depression |
| Energizes the body |
| Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings,
calves, arches, and hands |
| Strengthens the arms and legs
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| Helps relieve the symptoms of
menopause |
| Relieves menstrual discomfort when
done with head supported |
| Helps prevent osteoporosis |
| Improves digestion |
| Relieves headache, insomnia, back
pain, and fatigue |
| Therapeutic for high blood pressure,
asthma, flat feet, sciatica, sinusitis |
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Therapeutic
Applications |
| Sinusitis |
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Contraindications |
| Carpal tunnel syndrome |
| Diarrhea |
| Pregnancy: Do not do this pose
late-term. |
| High blood pressure or headache:
Support your head on a bolster or block, ears level between the arms.
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| Beginner's
Tip |
| If you have difficulty releasing and
opening your shoulders in this pose, raise your hands off the floor on a
pair of blocks or the seat of a metal folding chair. |
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Copyright © 1999
Yoga A Way Of Life
Last modified:
July 31, 2010
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