Pose Breakdown: Child’s Pose
This is one of my all-time favorite poses y'all! Yes, I have lived in the South for too long and I have adopted the word y'all as my own.
Balasana is such a great pose for the hips and lower back. Sometimes, when I'm in child's pose, I even feel a release between my shoulder blades. This pose is also great for improving circulation and relieving stress. If I'm feeling completely stressed and overwhelmed, I spend some time in balasana and then corpse pose (savasana).
There are really 2 versions of this pose; regular and extended. In regular, the knees are together and the arms go alongside the body with the hands towards the feet. In extended (my fave!), the knees are apart, along the edges of the yoga mat, or about 2 feet, and the arms reach beyond the head towards the front end of the mat. Regular balasana stretches out the lower back more and extended balasana stretches the hips out more.
This pose is able to be modified in many ways, which makes it even more wonderful. I'll be sure to include any modifications in the steps below. Anyone who has knee injuries should be very careful. I was hit by a car when I was little and have massive nerve damage in my knees. It took me quite a while to get into this pose, and I'm still not completely bent at my knees, but that's ok. Just listen to your body. Also, if you have a belly, extended child's pose is great for not squishing your insides!
REGULAR BALASANA:
Kneel on the mat, knees together, and rest the buttocks on the backs the calves and feet. Inhale deeply. (Place a pillow, bolster, or rolled up towel or blanket behind the knees and/or under the knees, if this is uncomfortable.)
Exhale and bend forward, forehead reaching towards the mat. (Place a block or pillow on the mat for your forehead, chest, or both to rest on if the body doesn't go all the way down.)
Lay the arms down beside the body on each side, fingertips reaching towards the feet. (Arms can also be folded under the forehead for support.)
Take a few breaths, focusing on the low back.
EXTENDED BALASANA:
Kneel on the mat, knees apart, to the edge of the mat (about 2 feet). (Blankets or pillows can be placed under the knees to help cushion and/or behind the knees to help not to over-extend the knee joint.) Inhale deeply.
Exhale while simultaneously sending the buttocks down and back towards the floor and feet and sending the hands forward towards the front of the mat.
Palms can come to rest on the mat or the hands can be “tented”. Tenting is raising the palms up and bending the fingers so only the fingertips are touching the mat. (think of an imaginary ball being in your hand)
4. Forehead comes to lie flat on the mat (it can also rest on a block, pillow, or blanket), being sure to keep the neck elongated and not scrunched up in the back.
5. Breathe deeply, expanding the abdominal region with each breath, and focus on the hip area.
So there ya have it, my favorite pose. Give it a try, then let me know how you liked it!