How to Do Downward Dog Correctly: 6 Common Mistakes

Downward-Facing Dog is in almost every yoga class, but it's easy to get wrong. Here are the six most common mistakes and how to fix each one.

Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) appears in almost every yoga class, often dozens of times. It stretches the hamstrings, calves and shoulders, strengthens the arms, and serves as a transition between many other poses. Because it is so common, small alignment problems get repeated again and again. Fixing them can make the pose feel completely different.

How to set up the pose

1. Start on hands and knees, wrists under shoulders, knees under hips.
2. Spread your fingers wide, with your middle fingers pointing forward.
3. Tuck your toes, breathe out and lift your hips up and back.
4. Keep your knees bent at first. Lengthen your spine, then slowly straighten your legs as far as is comfortable.
5. Let your head hang naturally between your upper arms. Hold for five slow breaths.

Mistake 1: Rounding the back to straighten the legs

This is the most common one. Tight hamstrings pull the pelvis down, the back rounds, and the pose loses its shape.

Fix: bend your knees generously. Your priority is a long, straight spine from hands to hips. Straight legs come later, with time.

Mistake 2: Hands too close to the feet

If your stance is too short, your shoulders end up stacked over your wrists and the pose becomes a strain.

Fix: from Plank, simply lift your hips back without moving your hands or feet. That usually gives you the right length.

Mistake 3: Weight collapsing into the wrists

Many beginners feel wrist discomfort because their weight sinks into the heel of the hand.

Fix: press firmly through your knuckles and the pads of your fingers, especially the index finger and thumb. Actively push the floor away and shift some weight back toward your legs.

Mistake 4: Shoulders hunched up by the ears

Fix: rotate your upper arms slightly outward, so your elbow creases turn a little forward, and draw your shoulder blades down your back. You should feel space around your neck.

Mistake 5: Forcing the heels down

Your heels don't need to touch the floor. For many people with tight calves, they never will, and that's fine.

Fix: let your heels hover. Pedal your feet gently, bending one knee and then the other, to warm up your calves.

Mistake 6: Holding your breath

Downward Dog is meant to be a pose you can breathe and even rest in.

Fix: if you can't breathe slowly and smoothly, ease off. Bend your knees more or come down to Child's Pose.

Modifications

• Wrist sensitivity: come onto your forearms for Dolphin Pose, or place your hands on a raised surface such as a sturdy chair.
• Very tight hamstrings: keep your knees bent the whole time. You'll still get the benefits for your back and shoulders.
• High blood pressure, glaucoma or late pregnancy: check with a doctor before doing inversions where your head is below your heart.

Is your Downward Dog right?

The easiest way to check is to see it from the side. Ask someone to take a photo or prop your phone against a wall, then upload it to our yoga pose rater. Choose "Downward Dog" and the AI will score your alignment and point out what to adjust.