Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

From hands and knees, tuck the toes and lift the hips up and back into an inverted V. Hands shoulder-width, fingers spread; press the floor away to externally rotate and stabilize the shoulders; lengthen the spine toward neutral; reach the heels toward the floor (they need not touch) to lengthen the calves and hamstrings. Knees may bend to keep the spine long if the hamstrings are tight.

A foundational posture and frequent transition point in sun-salutation and Vinyasa flows. It stretches the posterior chain (hamstrings, calves) and builds shoulder/upper-body endurance. Modify or avoid with significant wrist or shoulder problems; the partial inversion can raise head pressure — caution with uncontrolled hypertension.

• Inverted-V: hands shoulder-width, hips high, heels reaching down.
• Stretches hamstrings + calves; loads shoulders/arms.
• Bend knees to preserve a long spine if hamstrings are tight.

• sun-salutation — recurring transition pose.
• pose-plank — paired in flow transitions.
• stretch-achilles-calves-wall-straight — similar calf stretch.
• hamstrings — primary stretch target.