- Category
- Prone & kneeling
- Level
- beginner
- Hold
- 5–10 breaths
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Inhale to lengthen through the arms, exhale to let the chest sink.
Extended Puppy Pose
Uttana Shishosana — "extended puppy posture"
Also known as: Puppy Pose, Melting Heart, Anahatasana
Halfway between Child's Pose and Downward Dog: hips stay over the knees while the chest melts toward the floor. A generous shoulder and upper-back opener that asks very little of the rest of you.
Step by step
- 1Start in Tabletop with your hips stacked over your knees.
- 2Keep your hips where they are and walk your hands forward.
- 3Lower your chest toward the floor, letting your arms stay active and your elbows lift away from the mat.
- 4Rest your forehead — or, if your shoulders allow, your chin — on the mat.
- 5Keep a gentle reach through your fingertips while your heart softens downward.
- 6To come out, walk your hands back under your shoulders or sink back into Child's Pose.
Benefits
- ✓ Opens the shoulders, chest, and armpits
- ✓ Lengthens the spine with the hips supported
- ✓ Gives a mild, accessible upper-back extension
- ✓ Calms the breath — the shape naturally invites slower exhales
Make it yours
- · Fold a blanket under your knees.
- · Rest your forehead on a block or bolster so the neck can relax.
- · Place a bolster under your chest for a supported, longer-held version.
Take care
- Sensitive knees will want padding here, since the hips stay stacked over them.
- If your shoulders are irritable, keep the chest higher and don't force the melt.
- Late in pregnancy, widen the knees and reduce the depth so the belly stays comfortable.
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Practiced in
Props that help here
- Yoga blanket — Folded under the hips in seated poses, under the knees in kneeling ones, under the shoulders for shoulderstand. A firm household blanket works too. find one
- Bolster — The single best restorative purchase. Under the knees, under the spine, or lengthwise under the back to open a gentle supported backbend. find one
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