If you are someone who does yoga or have even read about yoga and its poses, practices, etc., you may have noticed an interesting fact about the exercise. Many of the poses in yoga often have animal names in them, like cobra pose, bird pose, cat-cow pose etc. That is because, as a practice of health and healing, yoga pulls from our own surroundings. Nature has inspired many poses in yoga such as tree pose, mountain pose and many more. One such pose is inspired by dogs. Downward Dog is one of the most famous yoga poses, but it's easy to do it wrong! Things like rounding your back, putting your feet too far apart, or pushing too much weight into your wrists can actually cause more of a stretch than you need, and even lead to injuries. What Is Downward Dog? Downward Dog (also called Downward-Facing Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana in fancy yoga language) is a basic yoga pose. You'll often see it used to connect other movements, like in a Sun Salutation sequence. It's also a way to rest actively, stretch your body, and make yourself stronger all at once. It gives you a moment to check in with how you're feeling during your yoga practice. In this pose, your body looks like an upside-down "V" shape, or like a pyramid. Imagine a straight line going from the top of your head, through your back, and right up to the ceiling from your bottom. How to Do Downward Dog the Right WayDownward Dog usually isn't the first thing you do in a yoga session. It's best to warm up your muscles and joints a bit first. Once you're warmed up, follow these steps. according to the Cleveland Clinic: Put your hands right under your shoulders (about shoulder-width apart) and your knees directly under your hips.Spread your fingers wide and press firmly into your whole hand. Tuck your toes under, as if you're trying to grip the floor.As you breathe out, push your hips up and back, like someone's pulling your bottom towards the ceiling. This makes your body look like an upside-down "V."Focus on keeping your back flat and straight, not rounded. Let your head and neck hang loosely between your upper arms. Think about pushing the floor away from you with your arms to keep them strong.Pull your belly button in towards your spine to use your core muscles.Keep your legs straight. If it feels okay, try to gently drop your heels towards the floor, but don't force it down.Shift your weight a little between your hands and feet until you feel steady and comfortable in the pose.Stay in this pose for 10 to 15 seconds, and remember to keep breathing deeply.If the stretch feels too much, simply bend your knees a little and adjust your position until it feels better.When you're done, breathe out and either move into your next yoga pose or gently lower yourself down to the floor into Child's Pose.Benefits of Downward Dog (and Who Should Be Careful) Downward-Facing Dog gives you a full-body stretch and also strengthens many parts of your body, including your: ShouldersArms (triceps and biceps)Stomach muscles (abs/core)Backs of your thighs (hamstrings)Bottom (glutes)Fronts of your thighs (quads)Hip muscles (hip flexors)Knee jointsThis pose really improves how flexible you are and how well you can control your movements. It also acts as a moment of active rest. Because your head is lower than your heart, it increases blood flow to your head and upper body.