BALASANA | CHILDS POSE
Hands up if Balasana (Childs Pose) is your favourite pose of all time. Well, actually more like hands down and forehead down. For March we're making this resting posture our pose of the month. Explore what feels nice! Is it knees together, knees apart, arms forward, arms behind? If your forehead can't touch the floor you can always make a pillow by stacking your hands or use a block. If your hips are reaching back to the heels try a folded blanket between the hips and legs or a bolster. 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.
Benefits
- It helps in gently stretching the thighs, hips and ankles.
- It helps in calming the brain.
- It helps in relieving fatigue.
- It helps in relieving back and neck pain when the pose is performed while supporting the head and torso.
- It helps in relieving the symptoms of stress.
Variations
- If you're after something a little different take a side stretch in Balasana or thread your arm under for a twist and shoulder stretch.
- If you'd like to flow try going from cat cow and pressing back to Balasana, or flow from Balasana through tabletop to a cobra and press back again.
- If you'd like something more restorative place a bolster in between your legs, elevate with blocks and give it a big old hug.
- If you're after something comforting you can reach both arms through your legs, letting your shoulders descend and turn your cheek to one side.
- If you're after something a little more active extend your arms forward keeping the forearms and elbows lifted off the ground to feel more of a stretch along the chest and length through the side body. This is a nice way to prepare for downward facing dog.