What usually happens when a teacher cues Puppy Pose is everyone surrenders to the shape. It’s not wrong to practice the pose in this way. But for most of us, the lower back tends to already be much more flexible than the mid and upper back. I ask students to engage the lower abs a little as they come into Puppy Pose, which ends up flattening the lower back and creating a bigger backbend sensation through the mid and upper back. How to Practice Puppy PoseSo let’s come into Puppy Pose.