adho mukha svanasana

UK/ˌɑːdəʊ ˌmuːkə ʃvəˈnɑːsənə/

noun

Downward-facing dog.

OriginSanskrit अधोमुखश्वानासन →
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Meanings

nounadho mukha svanasana (uncountable)
  1. uncountableyogaDownward-facing dog.

    The principles of Adho Mukha Svanasana are simple, but very effective.

    1978 Jul, Yoga Journal
    2 more examples

    You can press your feet more strongly into the floor in adho mukha svanasana by shifting your weight away from your hands and toward your feet.

    2007, BKS Iyengar, Iyengar: The Yoga Master, page 152

    I tried out […] one produced as part of a Christian "Faith in Fitness" series that tries to sweep away the Hindu roots with biblical names for the poses (Jonah's Whale instead of adho mukha svanasana, a.k.a. the ever-popular downward dog), and a dose of Corinthians instead of om shanti shanti shanti.

    2007 August 21, Washington Post

Origin

  1. Sanskritअधोमुखश्वानासन
  2. Englishadho mukha svanasana

From Sanskrit अधोमुखश्वानासन (adhomukhaśvānāsana), from अधस् (adhas, “down”) + मुख (mukha, “face”) + श्वान (śvāna, “dog”) + आसन (āsana, “asana”).

More words from Sanskrit

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Cite this entry
APA

adho mukha svanasana. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adho%20mukha%20svanasana

MLA

“adho mukha svanasana.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adho%20mukha%20svanasana. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “adho mukha svanasana,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adho%20mukha%20svanasana.

Source: adho mukha svanasana on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.