अधोमुखश्वानासन
adho mukha śvānāsana
In Sanskrit, "downward dog" is translated as अधोमुखश्वानासन (adho mukha śvānāsana).
This phrase refers to a yoga posture where the body forms an inverted V shape.
What does it mean word for word?
The term अधोमुखश्वानासन is a compound of several parts: adho meaning "downward", mukha meaning "face", śvāna meaning "dog" and āsana meaning "posture" or "seat".
How do you pronounce it?
adho mukha śvānāsana
Did you know?
- The word śvāna for 'dog' is the root of the English word 'cynic', as the Greek 'kynikos' means 'dog-like' and referred to people with dog-like biting speech.
- Although it is a staple of modern yoga classes, the specific posture of अधोमुखश्वानासन is absent from the foundational 'Yoga Sutras' of Patanjali.
- The word āsana is derived from the Sanskrit root 'as', meaning 'to sit'. This implies that, linguistically, every single yoga pose is treated as a variation of a 'seat'.
Examples in context
- अधोमुखश्वानासन सरलम् अस्ति।adhomukhaśvānāsana saralam asti.Downward dog is easy.
- सा अधोमुखश्वानासनं करोति।sā adhomukhaśvānāsanaṃ karoti.She is doing downward dog.
- अधोमुखश्वानासनं स्वास्थ्यप्रदम् अस्ति।adhomukhaśvānāsanaṃ svāsthyapradam asti.Downward dog is beneficial for health.
Example conversation
Ananya and Aditya are practicing yoga together.
- अनन्या Ananyaआदित्य, अधोमुखश्वानासनं आरभत।āditya, adhomukhaśvanāsanaṃ ārabhata.Aditya, start the downward dog pose.
- आदित्य Adityaकिम् इदं कठिनम् अस्ति?kim idaṃ kaṭhinam asti?Is this difficult?
- अनन्या Ananyaन, अधोमुखश्वानासनं सरलम् एव।na, adhomukhaśvanāsanaṃ saralam eva.No, downward dog is actually simple.
- आदित्य Adityaअहं प्रयत्नं करोमि।ahaṃ prayatnaṃ karomi.I will try.
