{"id":518,"date":"2020-03-30T16:05:33","date_gmt":"2020-03-30T10:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vinyasayogaacademy.com\/blog\/?p=518"},"modified":"2026-05-19T10:00:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T10:00:34","slug":"start-yoga-with-anahatasana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vinyasayogaacademy.com\/blog\/start-yoga-with-anahatasana\/","title":{"rendered":"Anahatasana\u00a0(Extended Puppy Pose): Benefits, Steps, Mistakes & Everything You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There\u2019s a kind of tension that builds so slowly you barely notice it at first. A little stiffness in the shoulders. Tightness across the chest. An upper back that feels heavier by the end of every day. Most people try to stretch it out for a few seconds and move on, but the body rarely lets go that easily. Some yoga poses do not challenge the body \u2014 they quietly heal the tension hidden inside it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anahatasana, often called the Extended Puppy Pose or Melting Heart Pose<\/strong>, is one of those rare postures that reaches exactly where modern stress tends to settle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simple to practise yet surprisingly powerful, Anahatasana is widely loved for its ability to release physical tension, improve posture, calm the nervous system, and create a deep sense of emotional ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this guide, you’ll learn everything about Anahatasana \u2014 including its meaning, benefits, step-by-step practice, common mistakes, precautions, and the best poses to pair with it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Anahatasana (Extended Puppy Pose)?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Anahatasana, also known as ‘Extended Puppy Pose’ or ‘Melting Heart Pose’, <\/strong>is the kind of pose that feels right the moment you try it,  as if your body had been waiting for it all along. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pose is beautifully simple. Hips stay lifted over your knees, arms reach forward, and your chest slowly melts toward the floor \u2013 no effort, no forcing, just gravity doing its job. Think of it as the middle ground between Child’s Pose and Downward Dog. Child’s Pose gives you rest. Downward Dog gives you a stretch. Anahatasana gives you both at once the calm of one and the deep chest-opening length of the other, all in one easy, unhurried shape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result is a satisfying stretch that travels through your shoulders, chest, upper back, and <\/strong>spine \u2013 exactly the places where most of us silently carry the weight of the day, hour after hour, without ever truly letting it go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Brief History of Anahatasana<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Unlike ancient postures such as Padmasana or Siddhasana, Extended Puppy Pose <\/strong>is considered a relatively modern yoga pose and does not appear in classical yogic texts, including the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The posture became more widely recognised through modern styles of yoga, particularly Yin Yoga and restorative practices that emphasise deep opening, stillness, and mindful breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anahatasana<\/strong> is especially valued in Yin Yoga,<\/strong> where poses are held for longer durations to gently target deeper connective tissues such as fascia, ligaments, and joints rather than only the muscles. The rise of Yin Yoga was influenced by practitioners such as Paulie Zink, Paul Grilley, and Sarah Powers, who blended Daoist principles, anatomy and meditative awareness into modern yoga practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, many styles of yoga practice Anahatasana <\/strong>as a posture of surrender, chest opening, and emotional release. Its name comes from “Anahata”, the Sanskrit term <\/strong>associated with the heart chakra traditionally linked with compassion, openness, love and emotional balance, making the pose meaningful in many modern yoga traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Do Anahatasana<\/strong>?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before You Begin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Place a folded blanket under your knees. Take three slow breaths. Notice where you are holding tension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1.  Begin in a tabletop position with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Keep your hips directly above your knees throughout the pose.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Slowly walk your hands forward and let your chest lower gently towards the floor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Rest your forehead, chin or chest on the mat, whichever feels most comfortable for your neck and shoulders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Stretch your arms forward with your palms pressing softly into the floor. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and let your heart centre melt downwards naturally.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Breathe slowly and deeply, letting your chest and ribcage expand with every inhale.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Hold for 5\u201310 deep breaths in a regular practice or stay for 1\u20133 minutes if you are doing a slower, more relaxed session.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. To come out, gently press into your palms and slowly walk your hands back under your shoulders, returning to the tabletop.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    What Are the Benefits of Anahatasana? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Anahatasana <\/strong>is more than just a stretch. It works on your body, your mind and your inner world. Here are its most meaningful benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Physical Benefits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Opens the Upper Back and Spine:<\/strong> Most of us never truly open our upper back in daily life. Anahatasana changes that. As your chest melts toward the floor, the upper spine gets a deep, genuine release that feels incredible once you experience it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Stretches the Shoulders and Chest:<\/strong> The pose creates a long, passive stretch across your shoulders, chest, and armpits. If you spend hours at a desk or on your phone, this one will feel like exactly what your body has been asking for.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Improves Spinal Flexibility:<\/strong> The mid and upper spine tend to stiffen with age and inactivity. Regular practice of this pose gradually brings mobility back to those areas in a gentle, sustainable way.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Supports Better Posture: <\/strong>The more you practice this pose, the more natural it feels to keep your chest open and shoulders back in everyday life. It is one of the best poses for undoing the effects of poor posture over time.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Mental Benefits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      1. Emotional Release<\/strong>: The chest is where we hold a lot without realising it \u2014 grief, stress, tension and worry. This pose gently opens that space. Many people feel a quiet wave of relief or even emotion during the hold.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Reduces Stress and Anxiety: <\/strong>Deep breathing, passive surrender, and physical release all happen at once in this pose. Your nervous system picks up on that and starts to slow down. It is one of the most genuinely calming poses in yoga.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Cultivates Patience and Stillness:<\/strong> Staying in this pose, especially for a few minutes, teaches you to sit with discomfort without immediately running from it. That quality builds slowly and quietly, but it shows up in real life more than you expect.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Spiritual Benefits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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        1. Anahatasana<\/strong> is named after the Anahata, the heart chakra<\/strong>, which governs love, compassion, forgiveness, and emotional healing. The pose is believed to gently clear blockages in this energy centre, helping you feel more open, more connected and more at ease in yourself. At its core, this pose is about surrender.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          What Are the Best Yoga Poses to Practise Before and After Anahatasana?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Anahatasana feels much better when it is part of a natural flow rather than done on its own. Try pairing it with these poses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Before Anahatasana<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n