Balasana aka: Child pose
(bah-LAHS-anna)
bala = child
Exercise: Exhale and gently sit back on your heals with your big toes together. Gently fold forward resting your torso to your thighs. Lower your forehead to the floor and lift the base of your head away from the neck, bring your arms forward away from the shoulders and relax them to the floor Observe your breathing through the movement of your diaphragm.
Physical Benefit: Stretches ankles, knees and hips.
Mental Benefit: Helps relieve stress and fatigue.
The Child's Pose
The Child's Pose, or Balasana, is a resting pose that prepares the body for the next asana.
Advantages
The root of balasana is bala, which is Sanskrit for "child." A yogi curls up in peace, as a child would.
This posture is simple but mighty in that it:
* Encourages a breath rhythm
* Stretches the back and shoulders
* Allows the body to release tension and find balance
Step Into the Pose
To Perform Child's Pose
1. Kneel down and sit on your heels, arms at your sides.
2. Inhale deeply, and on the exhale, bend forward, chest on the thighs.
3. Slide your arms back along your body and place your forehead on the floor.
4. Focus on the breath, feeling it fill your chest and back.
5. Hold this pose for a minute or longer, until you feel all tension release.
Beginner Tips
Using yoga equipment will help you make the most of this pose. Sit on a block if your hamstrings or front of the legs are tight. Place a pillow on the floor on which to rest your forehead. If your spine and shoulders are tight, extend your arms in front of you inside of alongside the body.
Anatomical Focus
* Thighs
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Therapeutic Applications
* Stress
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Benefits
* Gently stretches the hips, thighs, and ankles
* Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue
* Relieves back and neck pain when done with head and torso supported
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Contraindications and Cautions
* Diarrhea
* Pregnancy
* Knee injury: Avoid Balasana unless you have the supervision of an experienced teacher.
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Beginner's Tip
We usually don't breathe consciously and fully into the back of the torso. Balasana provides us with an excellent opportunity to do just that. Imagine that each inhalation is "doming" the back torso toward the ceiling, lengthening and widening the spine. Then with each exhalation release the torso a little more deeply into the fold.
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Variations
To increase the length of the torso, stretch your arms forward. Lift your buttocks just slightly away from your heels. Reach the arms longer while you draw the shoulder blades down the back. Then without moving the hands, sit the buttocks down on the heels again.
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Modifications and Props
If you have difficulty sitting on your heels in this pose, place a thickly folded blanket between your back thighs and calves.
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Partnering
A partner can help you lengthen the "dome" shape of your back in this pose. Have your partner stand to one of your sides. He/she should place one hand on your sacrum (fingers pointing toward the tailbone) and the other hand on your mid-back (fingers pointing toward your head). As you exhale, your partner can press gently down (toward the floor) and, without physically moving the hands, scrub them in opposite directions. Help your partner regulate the pressure on your back—ask for more or less—but have him/her apply more pressure only on an exhalation.
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Preparatory Poses
* Virasana
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Follow-Up Poses
* Balasana is a resting pose that can precede or follow any asana.
* Thighs
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Therapeutic Applications
* Stress
► ▼
Benefits
* Gently stretches the hips, thighs, and ankles
* Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue
* Relieves back and neck pain when done with head and torso supported
► ▼
Contraindications and Cautions
* Diarrhea
* Pregnancy
* Knee injury: Avoid Balasana unless you have the supervision of an experienced teacher.
► ▼
Beginner's Tip
We usually don't breathe consciously and fully into the back of the torso. Balasana provides us with an excellent opportunity to do just that. Imagine that each inhalation is "doming" the back torso toward the ceiling, lengthening and widening the spine. Then with each exhalation release the torso a little more deeply into the fold.
► ▼
Variations
To increase the length of the torso, stretch your arms forward. Lift your buttocks just slightly away from your heels. Reach the arms longer while you draw the shoulder blades down the back. Then without moving the hands, sit the buttocks down on the heels again.
► ▼
Modifications and Props
If you have difficulty sitting on your heels in this pose, place a thickly folded blanket between your back thighs and calves.
► ▼
Partnering
A partner can help you lengthen the "dome" shape of your back in this pose. Have your partner stand to one of your sides. He/she should place one hand on your sacrum (fingers pointing toward the tailbone) and the other hand on your mid-back (fingers pointing toward your head). As you exhale, your partner can press gently down (toward the floor) and, without physically moving the hands, scrub them in opposite directions. Help your partner regulate the pressure on your back—ask for more or less—but have him/her apply more pressure only on an exhalation.
► ▼
Preparatory Poses
* Virasana
► ▼
Follow-Up Poses
* Balasana is a resting pose that can precede or follow any asana.
