Adho Mukha Svanasan is a unique yoga pose that has derived its name from the ancient hindi language, Sanskrit. In Sanskrit Adho Mukha refers to the downward facing or facing downward. Svana means dog, so Adho Mukha Svanasana is the downward-facing dog pose. Adho Mukha Svanasana is one of the most popular and widely recognized yoga poses that helps release stress and rejuvenates the body and mind. 

The technique of Adho Mukha Svanasana is relatively simple. First you sit on the floor and slowly shift to your hands and knees. Then you set your knees directly below your abdomen and align them with your hips. Your hands should be set slightly forward of the shoulders. When you get in this position you should curl your toes under and spread your fingers wide out on the ground. This will help you become more stable and grounded through your arms. When you become stable you should take a deep breath. As you exhale, raise your hips towards the sky and push the floor with your hands. Be sure to keep pressing your heels down toward the floor while you keep your knees slightly bent. It is crucial that the weight of your body should be evenly distributed between your hands and feet. You can either hold this position or you can move on to straighten your legs. As you do so, make sure that your heels continue to push against the floor so that they become just as stable and grounded as your hands. All the force that you apply with your heels should be channeled throughout the legs and feet. You should hold this position for four to twelve long exhalations. When finishing up with this position you should reverse the steps taken to get into the Adho Mukha Svanasana. Once you become more intermediate, you will be able to go into the Adho Mukha Svanasana directly from a cat stretch. The Adho Mukha Svanasana helps you feel the hips initiating the movement and also reinforces your hollow spine.