Adho mukha svanasana: Ace this yoga pose to flaunt slim, shapely and toned arms

Haven’t we all dreamt of flaunting those sexy and sculpted arms a la Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif? These B-town beauties lift heavy weights in the gym and exercise for hours at end, but what if we don’t have so much time to spare? 

Fret not, because yoga will once again come to your rescue! And this time we’re speaking about adho mukha svanasana or downward dog pose that’s the ultimate secret to achieve those shapely arms. And we have none other than celebrity yoga guru, Grand Master Akshar, who’ll teach us the right way to perform this exercise. 

But before we get down to doing it, let’s learn a little more about the pose. 

What is adho mukha svanasana?
Popularly known as the downward dog pose (or downward dog facing pose), its name comes from the Sanskrit words ‘adho’ meaning ‘down’, mukha meaning ‘face’, śvāna meaning ‘dog’, and āsana meaning ‘posture’.

“The best part of this posture is that even a newbie can get a hang of it easily! It tones the muscles of the upper body by shedding excess weight from the shoulders, chest and upper back,” shares Grand Master Akshar. 

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Here’s how you can master the adho mukha svanasana or downward dog pose:

1. Start on all fours, ensuring palms are under the shoulders and knees below hips.
2. Lift your hips up, straighten your knees and elbows, and form an inverted ‘V’ shape.
3. Now, keep your hands shoulders width apart, and point your fingers ahead.
4. Put pressure on your palms and open your shoulder blades.
5. Try to push your heels to the floor.
6. Keep your eye focused on your toes.
7. Hold for 8-10 breaths.

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Try and do this pose a few times, and then as you get better, you can keep adding more reps to the set!

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It also has benefits galore, for your mind and body
Make sure you practice this pose every single day: after all, it offers amazing benefits for your mind and body. It strengthens all your muscles and helps to relieve back pain. What’s more, it also helps to reduce headaches, fatigue and insomnia, and also serves well for those who suffer from anxiety and depression. 

“This pose helps your body to get a 360-degree stretch. Since this asana expects you to carry the weight of your body between your palms and feet, it strengthens your bones to prevent osteoporosis. It also helps to tackle high blood pressure, asthma, sciatica, flat feet and sinusitis,” advises Grand Master Akshar. 

Although this wonder pose is like no other, the yoga guru advises people to exercise some caution in case of certain conditions. 

“Don’t perform this exercise if you are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, diarrhoea, or are in the latter stages of pregnancy. It’s also advised not to do this pose if you’ve suffered from a recent or chronic injury to the arms, hips, shoulders and back, or have a detached retina and weak eye capillaries. In case of high blood pressure or headache, go slow,” he adds. 

Wait no more and start doing this pose today to get sexy arms in no time!