Heart Melting Pose – Anahatasana

Puppy Pose / Heart Melting Pose – Bringing the Heart to the Earth
*INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

I choose to lay my heart down to the earth.
I choose to release control and find safety in surrender.
My breath creates space, my mind softens, my heart breathes freely.

What is Anahatasana (Heart Melting Pose)?

Anahatasana, also called Heart Melting Pose or Extended Puppy Pose, combines surrender with deep opening. The name comes from Anahata – the Sanskrit word for the heart chakra, the center of love, compassion, and trust.

This asana is like a bridge between Child’s Pose (Balasana) and Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana). The chest melts down toward the earth while the hips stay aligned above the knees, creating a powerful stretch in the spine, shoulders, and chest.

Symbolically, Anahatasana teaches us how to release protective layers around the heart and how to surrender – to the ground, to the breath, and to life itself.

Physical benefits

• Deeply stretches the spine and shoulders
• Opens the chest and increases lung capacity
• Relieves stiffness in the upper back and neck
• Improves hip mobility
• Stimulates abdominal organs and blood circulation

Mental and emotional benefits

• Releases tension and stress
• Promotes calmness and inner spaciousness
• Encourages surrender and trust – in oneself and in life
• Helps release emotions stored in the heart center (sadness, unspoken words, suppressed feelings)

Energetic benefits

• Activates the heart chakra (Anahata) – center of love and compassion
• Encourages prana to flow freely through the spine and chest
• Balances the energy between the upper and lower body

1. Begin on your hands and knees, with the knees hip-width apart.
2. Walk your hands forward on the mat, keeping palms flat and shoulder-width apart.
3. Gently slide the chest down toward the earth, keeping the hips above the knees.
4. Rest your forehead or chin on the mat.
5. Extend the arms forward, opening the shoulders and chest.
6. Breathe deeply and stay for 1–3 minutes.
7. With an inhale, slowly walk the hands back and return to Child’s Pose or to sitting on the heels.

• Child’s Pose (Balasana)
• Corpse Pose (Savasana)

• Place a bolster or block under the chest if the stretch feels too intense.
• For a deeper version, rest the chin on the floor and open the throat.
• Hands can come together in Anjali Mudra above the head to open the shoulders more.
• Restorative version: support the torso with cushions for complete relaxation.

Precautions:

• Practice carefully if you have injuries in the shoulders or lower back.
• Do not force the chest down – allow natural opening over time.
• Pregnant women may practice with gentle support under the torso.

Anahatasana is an invitation to bring the heart down to the earth and surrender fully. With the hips lifted and the chest melting toward the ground, we learn how to find balance between strength and vulnerability. This posture creates space for love, compassion, and ease in daily life, while also helping us release sadness and tension stored in the chest and shoulders. In doing so, we expand our ability to breathe more deeply, feel more openly, and live more authentically.

Practice this asana whenever you need softness and inner peace – it brings calmness, warmth, and a new dimension of trust in your body and emotions.

On the blog, explore other heart-opening poses – each one offers a new dimension of freedom in breathing, energy flow, and inner courage.