अधोमुख श्वानासन
Adho Mukha Svanasana — Downward Dog
adho-mukha = face down, śvāna = dog — the stretching dog; Parvatasana (mountain) in Surya Namaskar
The body becomes a mountain peak — hands and feet rooted, hips to the sky.
In the simplest words
Make an upside-down V with your body: hands and feet on the floor, bottom up high in the air — like a dog having a big stretch after a nap. It's okay to bend your knees!
What it is
Hands and feet press the earth and the hips lift high, folding the body into an upside-down V — a dog's luxurious morning stretch, which is exactly where the name comes from. In the Surya Namaskar cycle this same shape is traditionally called Parvatasana, the mountain. It stretches the whole back line from heels to fingertips while gently strengthening arms and shoulders. Bent knees and lifted heels are not cheating; a long spine matters far more than straight legs.
Before you practise — health first
With wrist injury, high blood pressure, glaucoma or late pregnancy, keep it brief and gentle or practise hands-on-a-chair instead; headaches prefer the head supported.
Getting into it
From all fours, tuck the toes and lift the hips up and back.
Press the whole of both palms down, fingers spread, arms long.
Send the hips high; keep the knees bent at first so the spine can lengthen fully.
Let the head hang easy between the arms, ears in line with the elbows.
Reach the heels toward the floor without forcing them to arrive; breathe 3–5 slow breaths.
The breath
Slow ujjayi-style breaths suit this pose beautifully.
What it is kept for
Stretching the back line, strengthening shoulders, resetting energy mid-day.