downward dog

noun

variants or less commonly downward-facing dog or downward facing dog

plural downward dogs also downward-facing dogs or downward facing dogs

: a yoga pose in which the hands and feet are on the floor and the hips are raised towards the ceiling creating an inverted V shape with the body

Yoga is also great for reducing stress, by taking you out of your repetitive thoughts, and a bit of downward dog can work wonders for your joints too.

—Matt Roberts

… a warmup of downward dogs and deep breaths.

—Ian Prasad Philbrick

Stewart suggested common, easy stretches for my shoulders and classic yoga poses like … downward-facing dog.

—Julia Pugachevsky

Examples of downward dog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

People who want to take their energy levels down a notch—hanging out in a hammock or in the Himalayan salt room, trying new wines and cheeses, performing downward dogs on the sand. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026

This level of exercise includes shoulder stabilization through a downward dog series, the core engaged in boat pose, and legs that work hard enough to tremble during chair pose. —William Jones, Ascend Agency, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

free translation of Neo-Sanskrit adhomukhaśvānāsana, from Sanskrit adhas "downward" + mukhaṃ "face, direction" + śvānaḥ "dog" + āsanaṃ "seat, posture, asana"; so called from the pose's resemblance to the stretch a dog does after getting up from a lying position

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above