Poses
Melting Heart / Puppy
Anahatasana
Backbend · beginner
How to
- Begin in a tabletop position on your hands and knees, ensuring your shoulders are directly over your wrists and hips over your knees.
- Walk your hands forward, allowing your chest to lower towards the ground while keeping your hips aligned over your knees.
- Spread your fingers wide and press the palms into the mat to activate the arms, keeping elbows slightly off the ground.
- Allow your forehead or chin to rest gently on the mat, depending on your neck comfort, maintaining a soft gaze towards the floor.
- Engage your core slightly to protect your lower back, while letting your heart melt towards the earth with each exhale.
- Focus on deep, even breaths, feeling the expansion in your ribcage and shoulders as you inhale and release tension with each exhale.
- To exit, slowly walk your hands back towards your body, returning to the tabletop position.
Benefits
- Stretches and opens the shoulders and upper back, improving flexibility.
- Expands the chest, enhancing respiratory function and capacity.
- Relieves tension in the thoracic spine, offering therapeutic benefits for back pain.
- Encourages a meditative state, reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
- Enhances circulation and stimulates the heart chakra, supporting emotional balance.