Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana)

Steps

From hands and knees, keep the hips stacked over the knees.
Walk the hands forward and let the chest soften down. Forehead or chin can rest on the mat or a block.
Press the hands down lightly and reach the sitting bones back.
Walk the hands in to come out. Sit back to Child’s Pose if you want a rest.

What this pose may help with

These lines describe why people practice the shape. A pose may help with ordinary stiffness or with settling your attention. They are not claims that the pose treats or cures a condition.

Lengthens the sides of the torso and the shoulders.
A floor alternative to a full Downward-Facing Dog.
Often feels good after computer work if the shoulders are not already irritated.

Common mistakes

Sitting the hips back onto the heels, which turns it into Child’s Pose.
Forcing the chest to the floor.
Shrugging the shoulders up.

Modifications

Forehead on a block.
Bend the elbows slightly if the shoulders pinch.

Practicing Puppy Pose at home

Puppy Pose, or Uttana Shishosana, is a kneeling shape where your hips stay over your knees as your chest softens toward the floor and your arms reach forward. Many people find it gives a clear stretch through the shoulders and along the sides of the torso. It can fit well in a short break during the day, especially after time at a desk, as long as your shoulders aren’t already irritated.

As you settle in, notice the difference between softening and forcing. The shape often works best when your chest moves down only as far as your shoulders can stay broad and your neck feels easy. Let your hands press lightly, and reach your sitting bones back without shifting them all the way to your heels. If your forehead doesn’t comfortably meet the floor, a block under the forehead can make the pose feel steadier. If the front of either shoulder feels pinchy, bend your elbows a little or come out.

You’ll know the pose is working for you if your breath can stay smooth through your nose, if that’s comfortable, and the stretch feels clear but not sharp. Watch for the common habit of shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears. A little space around the neck usually helps. If your knees are sensitive, place a folded blanket under them. To come out, walk your hands back in slowly, and rest in Child’s Pose if that sounds good.

Safety

Shoulder injury: keep the arms less extended, or skip.
Knee pain: pad the knees or choose a seated shoulder stretch.
Stop if you feel a pinch at the front of the shoulder.

If you are pregnant, injured, or dealing with back pain, consult a doctor before you follow this page. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or chest pain. This is movement education, not a diagnosis or a treatment. Read the medical disclaimer.

Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana, said oo-TAH-nah shee-SHO-sah-nah) is listed here as a Beginner Kneeling pose. The body area it emphasizes is Shoulders. Hips stay over the knees while the chest melts toward the floor and the arms reach forward. A shoulder stretch with the hips high.

Read the steps in order. Set the pose up before you try to deepen it. The first mistake called out on this page is: Sitting the hips back onto the heels, which turns it into Child’s Pose. That line is there because the usual error is doing too much, not because a tighter shape is a better practice. The modifications keep the same idea when the full shape does not fit today. Use them on purpose. They are part of the pose, not a demotion.

People practice Puppy Pose for a plain reason: Lengthens the sides of the torso and the shoulders. That “may help” is a description of why the shape is in a beginner library. It is not a claim that the pose treats, cures, or prevents a condition. Shoulder injury: keep the arms less extended, or skip.

If you are pregnant, returning from an injury, or your back has been painful, consult a doctor before you practice Puppy Pose. A safety note on a website is education. It is not clearance. Sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or pain that runs down a leg is a reason to stop and get care, not a reason to hold the shape longer. The medical disclaimer on this site says the same thing in more detail.

When you are done, come out slowly. One calm repetition you can repeat tomorrow is the point of the page. Pair Puppy Pose with a short routine from this site if you want a sequence, and keep the timer as a guide you are allowed to pause.

Routines that use this pose

Puppy Pose: common questions

What should Puppy Pose feel like?

You may notice a long stretch through the shoulders, under the arms, and along the sides of your torso. Your hips stay lifted over your knees, so the sensation is different from Child’s Pose. It should feel steady and open, not sharp, jammed, or pinchy in the shoulders.

Why does Puppy Pose hurt my shoulders?

It may be a sign that your arms are reaching too far or your chest is dropping lower than your shoulders want today. Try bending the elbows slightly, pressing the hands down lightly, or placing your forehead on a block. If you feel a pinch at the front of the shoulder, come out.

Is Puppy Pose the same as Child’s Pose?

No. In Puppy Pose, your hips stay stacked over your knees while your arms reach forward and your chest softens down. In Child’s Pose, your hips rest back toward your heels. If your hips slide back, the shape changes and the stretch shifts too.