Butt up in the air. Chest down to the floor. What am I thinking of?
Puppy pose of course!
But it doesnât have to look quite like that.
Puppy pose is one of those poses I roll out of bed, on to the floor, and into, with my eyes partially open and crusty. Can you hear the subtle popping of my back? It feels sooooo good đ¤¤.
I also love to do puppy pose while standing in a long line at a grocery store (but of course not on the floor).
Itâs my favorite pose to stretch out my arms, shoulders, the front and the sides of my body. Itâs really⌠my favorite upper body stretch.
I know not everyone loves this pose, but there are a variety of ways to approach uttana shishosana to make it more accessible, aka more comfortable, and not always needing a yoga mat.
Check out the video and continue reading to find out how. Not all of the variations are in the video so if you watch it now, make sure you come back for a few more options.
Puppy pose is a heart opener – a front side of the body opener. Which also means – itâs a backbend.
Plain and simply it stretches out the muscles on the front side of your upper body. There are a few variations that get into a few muscles of the back side of the body but Iâll save that for later in the anatomy section.
Puppy pose is great for most people, but in its traditional form is not ideal for the following conditions:
Herniated cervical discs
Herniated lumbar discs
Spondylothesis
Osteopenia
Osteoporosis
But luckily this puppy pose variation can be done safely, with some mindfulness, for all of these conditions.
** Reading Break ** This blog post DOES contain affiliate links of related products I love and they might even be pictured. If you click on a link and purchase a product (or service) it costs you nothing, you MIGHT even get a discount, and I MAY even receive a SMALL commission. This helps me to buy and drink coffee âď¸ in order to keep me awake and provide you with amazing free content đ Thank You for supporting my content đ
Puppy Pose 101 (Uttana Shishosana): How to Set It Up
Puppy pose is typically done prone (belly down to the ground), with the knees on the ground. But there are a few other ways to approach it, especially for those times you donât want to (or canât) get on the ground. Skip here to see how to do it with a wall, or watch the video for a more visual option.
Lower Body
Knees are on the ground
Tops of the feet are on the ground with either: the tops of the toes to the ground, or the toes curled under
Hips are stacked over the knees
Important Notes
The hips can be a little in front or a little behind the knees, but if the hips are too far back (towards the feet) itâs more of a child’s pose instead of a puppy pose and the purpose of the pose changes.
Double up your yoga mat or get an extra thick one like this yoga mat from BYOGA (I love it! And have it in Yellow âď¸)
Upper Body
Arms are stretched out over head
Hands are to the ground
Chest reaches towards the floor
Gaze can be at the ground or towards the hands
Important Notes
Remember to breathe and let your breath be your guide.
Let’s Get Into It: Moving In and Out of the Puppy Pose
Moving In
There are two typical ways to move into puppy pose: from childâs pose, and from table top. I teach both options nearly equally so Iâve written both sets of instructions below.
Align the elbows under the shoulders if they arenât already
Press into the forearms and lengthen the crown of the head towards the ceiling
Puppy Pose Variations: The Yummy, The Awkward, and The Fun
I typically list modifications for poses, but with puppy pose all these variations could be modifications, but also can be done for another purpose. If these text descriptions arenât doing it for you, many of these options can be seen in the video.
Puppy with Toes Curled Under
Reasons to do this variation:
Ankles are tight
Tops of the feet are tight
Want to stretch the bottoms of the feet
How to do it:
Come into puppy pose as described above
Curl the toes under so the pads of the toes (and possibly the balls of the feet) are on the ground
Notes:
Try playing around with how much you press your heels away from the rest of the body or how close you draw them towards the body
You feel uncomfortable in regular puppy pose and youâre not sure why
You feel like you canât breathe in regular puppy pose
Regular puppy pose is uncomfortable for your neck
You want more of a torso stretch and less of a shoulder stretch
The weight is too much for your knees
You want a deeper stretch through the upper body
How to do it:
Come into puppy pose as described above
Slide further forward until the heart center is reaching towards the floor
Notes:
The weight between the knees and the arms/hands becomes almost equal, though the weight can be shifted more towards the hands to take even more weight off of the knees.
The stretch into the upper body becomes a little more intense. Be mindful as you move into this variation.
Walk the knees backward (or forward) as needed to get into the pose
Notes:
The chest/head does not need to come anywhere near the floor. The stretch can be as intense as you need it to be for you.
If youâre doing this variation for an intensified stretch, lower the head and chest towards the ground.
Remember your blocks have 3 heights, play around with the height until you receive the desired stretch.
Puppy Pose at the Wall
Reasons to do this variation:
You donât want to (or canât) be on the ground
Youâre far along in a pregnancy
Your hips are tight
Your knees are sore or tight
You feel uncomfortable in regular puppy pose and youâre not sure why
You feel like you canât breathe in regular puppy pose
The weight is too much for your knees
You want a deeper stretch through the upper body
How to do it:
Find a wall or something sturdy at hip height or higher
Start standing less than an arm’s distance from the wall
Reach your arms up the wall
Lean your chest towards the wall
Hinge from the hips allowing the torso to connect with the wall
When you find the stretch you like hold for a few breaths
Notes:
You can look at the wall (it’s a great way to counter forward head/tech neck) or you can look between the hands
This variation can feel intense. Avid it if you have any of the conditions listed here.
Heart Melt Puppy Pose at the Wall
Reasons to do this variation:
You donât want to (or canât) be on the ground
You’re in line at Disney World or a grocery store
Youâre far along in a pregnancy
You have herniated cervical or lumbar discs
Your hips are tight
Your knees are sore or tight
You feel uncomfortable in regular puppy pose and youâre not sure why
You feel like you canât breathe in regular puppy pose
The weight is too much for your knees
You want a deeper stretch through the upper body
How to do it:
Find a wall or something sturdy at hip height or higher
Start standing at least arms distance from the wall
Place your hands on the object or on the wall at shoulder height
Press your hands onto the wall or the object and start to walk the feet back
Hinge from the hips allowing the torso to melt towards the ground
When you find the stretch you like hold for a few breaths
Notes:
Make sure whatever you are using for this stretch is stable enough to support your weight.
You can make this stretch as intense or as light as you would like. For a more intense stretch allow the torso to sink below the level of the hands.
If you have any of the conditions listed here, focus on opening through the shoulders and the chest and not bending into the neck or back. Focus on looking at the ground and engaging the core to keep the low back neutral.
Puppy with One Arm Out
Reasons to do this variation:
You want to stretch into your lats and backs of your shoulders
You are unable to extend both arms over head
How to do it:
Start on all fours with your hips above your knees
Stretch one arm out forward with the palm facing the midline (blade of the hand towards the floor)
Reach the back of the shoulder towards the mat (instead of the chest for regular puppy pose)
The opposite hand stays in place allowing you to put as much or as little weight as you would like into it
Notes:
The hips may or may not stay directly above the knees
Walk the knees backward (or forward) as needed to get into the pose
Notes:
Placing a block between the hands intensifies the stretch
Remember there are 3 heights to the blocks choose what works best for you
Knees may or may not directly above the knees
Want to know what’s going on?
Find out what’s going on… You know you want to… Privacy is important, I won’t sell your info, I promise.
Outgrown Puppy Pose? How to Move On
Thereâs always something to be found in every pose, even if it feels âboringâ or âeasy.â Thereâs always the opportunity to ask âwhy do I feel this way in this pose?â or âwhy do I feel this way about this pose?â But if you want to make puppy pose a little more exciting here are a few ways to switch up your leg positions and try something new.
Before moving into these, warm up with a few regular puppy poses and make sure youâre comfortable and able to breathe while sitting in the pose.
Bend both knees so the heels come close to the bottom
(Option) Cross your ankles
(Option) Stretch one leg straight up so the toes reach to the sky
(Option) Reach your arms back and grab your shins
Breathe
Notes:
These options are more intense. If you start to move into a variation and feel uncomfortable come right back out of it
Use a mat or padded surface as this is more intense on the tops of the knees
Avoid this pose if you have any herniated disks, osteoporosis, or spondylothesis.
Am I doing this Right? What you should be Feeling in Puppy Pose
Everyone, and every body, is different. This is a general break down of who you could be feeling in traditional puppy pose.
Lower Body:
Knees are bent (flexed) and holding a majority of your body weight.
With the toes pointed the tops of the feet may or may not be touching the floor. You may or may not feel a stretch through the ankle (plantar flexion).
Toes can be flexed – stretching the bottoms of the feet. This places the ankle in (dorsi) flexion.
Hips are bent (hip flexion). You may or may not feel your belly pressing onto your thighs
Trunk of the Body:
The back is arched (back extension). The arch can be spread evenly throughout the spine, or it can be concentrated in the lower back or the upper back as desired.
Upper Body:
Arms are reaching overhead. You may feel a stretch in the sides of the upper body (latissimus dorsi), back side of the armpit (posterior deltoid), and in the chest (pectoralis minor).
Gaze
Gaze can be towards the hands (cervical spine extension) or at the floor (neutral cervical spine).
Letâs Nerd Out: The Anatomical break down of Puppy Pose
Are you looking for something specific?
Do you have a yoga teacher training anatomy test coming up?
Are you a health professional wanting to give a pose to a patient, but donât know all of them and want a quick reference?
Or do you just really LOVE anatomy? đ
Well, this section is for you!
Many variations were discussed above, but unless noted, the break down is for the traditional puppy pose on the floor or at the wall.
Muscles Worked
In the passive form none are really engaged, but for a more active form you MIGHT engage:
Erector Spinae: for back extension
Quadratus Lumborum: for back extension
Muscles Stretched
Rectus Abdominis
Latissimus Dorsi
Posterior Deltoid
Pectoralis Minor
(In some people) Pectoralis Major
Trapezius (in puppy with elbows on the block)
Rhomboids (in puppy with elbows on the block)
Hopefully the information in this post and the video helped you find some information on how to make puppy pose more delightful for you, or get the answers for that upcoming test you have đ. Follow my Pinterest page for some useful infographics on key points to focus on in puppy pose and various other yoga poses.
Want to know what’s going on?
Find out what’s going on… You know you want to… Privacy is important, I won’t sell your info, I promise.
