Amsa Yoga Studio of Columbia, SC: "Anahatasana" (Half Dog Pose or Melting Heart Pose)

Deepen Your Practice
Pose of The Month:
"Anahatasana" (Half Dog Pose or Melting Heart Pose)
by Kimberley Puryear

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I thought that Anahatasana or "Melting Heart Pose" would be a wonderful pose to open the heart and invite gratitude and compassion into the stream of business that so often overtakes the season.

Although we practice this pose mostly in "Yin Yoga", it is sprinkled throughout many of the classes at Amsa Yoga for it's amazing benefits and deep opening stretch.

Please be mindful: if you have a neck issues, this pose could put strain on it (you may want to skip this one).

Start out on your hands and knees with a neutral spine (hands palms down, beneath your shoulders and knees firmly anchored beneath your hips). Keeping your hips above your knees, shift down to your forearms and start to walk your hands forward toward the top edge of your sticky mat. Of course, all of our skeletons are different, so how wide you take your arms is going to depend on what your shoulders are telling you. If they feel okay, keep your arms shoulders distance apart on the mat, if you're feeling a "pinching" sensation in the bones of the shoulders, walk your arms wider (about mats distance apart).

Start to "melt your heart" down towards the mat with your armpits spreading and sinking down towards the earth. If you have neck issues, be mindful of keeping the neck long while resting your forehead on the floor. If your neck is happy and healthy, it sometimes feels good to stretch your chin out, resting it on the floor and looking forward... listen to your body!

Hold this pose for 5-10 breaths or up to two minutes (but not longer!). Holding this posture for two minutes opens up the deeper tissues (Yin Yoga) and is a great way to combat stiffness in the shoulders and upper and middle back. Come out of the pose mindfully by SLOWLY tucking your tailbone and rolling up through the spine one vertebra at a time, lifting through your armpits and walking your hands back beneath your shoulders. Take a few breaths here, then slowly nestle your hips back towards your heals and come to rest in Balasana (Child's Pose).

Benefits:
Anahatasana is a fabulous opener of the front body, chest and heart center helping to create more space for the breath (yay breath!). It is also a delicious stretch of the side ribs, upper and middle back and shoulders.

Enjoy!

Category:

Education

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• amsa
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• Half
• Dog
• Melting
• Heart
• Pose
• asana
• vinyasa
• yin
• hot
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