Balasana, Child’s Pose is offered many times throughout a practice as a resting pose. Although this pose seems simple, learning to tune into your body and allow yourself to take rest can be more challenging than you think!
Benefits:
Release tension and creates space in the hips, back and shoulders. May help alleviate stress, fatigue and anxiety.
How to:
- Start in a table top position kneeling on the floor. Hands slightly wider than shoulders and knees under hips.
- Draw the big toes together. Knees, shins and tops of feet on the mat.
- Release your hips towards your heels to lay your belly down on your thighs.
- Allow your forehead to come to the floor.
- Extend your arms long overhead with palms facing down and elbows lifted.
- Hold and breathe for 3-5 breaths or longer.
- To release, walk your hands back towards your knees, rise your shoulders above your hips to a kneeling position.
Modify it:
Place a towel under your knees to take away any pressure you may feel with kneecaps on the floor. If your sitting bones don’t rest on your heels you may place a folded blanket between your calves and the backs of your thighs. Play around with different arm variations: 1) elbows lifted is more active 2) forearms on the mat is more restful or 3) arms alongside the torso with hands back toward heels is more opening in the space between the shoulderblades.