Extended Puppy Pose

About This Pose

Extended Puppy Pose is a hybrid between Child's Pose and Downward Dog that targets the upper back, lats, and shoulders in a way that neither of its relatives quite matches. It's particularly good for people who carry tension through the thoracic spine and upper back, which is most people who use computers, drive, or carry things in front of them. From hands and knees, walk the hands forward while keeping the hips directly over the knees. Lower the chest toward the floor, extending through the arms and letting the forehead or chin rest on the mat. The hips stay stacked over the knees rather than sinking back as they would in Child's Pose. What you're creating is thoracic extension: the middle of the back arching gently toward the ceiling as the chest lowers to the floor. This is the opposite of the rounding that accumulates from sitting, driving, and looking at phones. The arms are active even as the chest descends. Press the palms into the mat and feel the lats engage and stretch simultaneously. The armpit area should feel a deep opening as the position develops. If the forehead doesn't reach the floor, place it on a block. The neck stays neutral rather than cranked back. This is a calming pose that also does genuine postural work. Held for five to eight breaths, it's one of the most reliably satisfying poses in the practice, particularly after a long day in a chair.

How to Practice

1. 1

   Start on hands and knees with the hips stacked over the knees.

2. 2

   Walk your hands forward a few steps, keeping the hips where they are.

3. 3

   Exhale and let the chest melt toward the mat, keeping the arms active and the elbows lifted off the floor.

4. 4

   Rest the forehead or chin on the mat, or on a block if the floor is far away.

5. 5

   Press gently into the palms and draw the hips back slightly to feel a long stretch from the armpits to the hips.

6. 6

   Hold for 5–10 breaths, then walk the hands back and come to Child’s Pose or hands and knees.

Benefits

• Deep shoulder and thoracic spine opener
• stretches the lats and upper back
• counteracts desk-worker rounding

Modifications & Variations

• Block under the forehead: rest the head on a block if it does not reach the floor

• Blanket under the knees: pad the knees with a folded blanket

• Puppy at the wall: stand facing a wall, hands on it at hip height, and walk back to fold forward

• Wider arms: take the hands wider than shoulder-width if the shoulders pinch

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