{"id":2913,"date":"2025-03-14T08:33:27","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T08:33:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/mastering-childs-pose-in-yoga-balasana.html"},"modified":"2025-03-14T08:33:27","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T08:33:27","slug":"mastering-childs-pose-in-yoga-balasana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/health\/mastering-childs-pose-in-yoga-balasana.html","title":{"rendered":"Mastering Child&#8217;s Pose in Yoga (Balasana)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I have a secret: I often get my yoga students through \u201cjust one more\u00a0vinyasa\u201d with the promise that child\u2019s pose (balasana) awaits them.<\/p>\n<p>Child\u2019s pose is a relaxing, feel-good pose that\u2019s accessible to yogis of all levels. It\u2019s one of my personal favorites \u2014 I swap it for\u00a0downward-facing dog\u00a0when my shoulders and legs need a break, I use it to stretch my low back after long hours at the computer, and I remind students it\u2019s always an option when they need to catch their breath or focus inward during class.<\/p>\n<p>Child\u2019s pose is commonly found in restorative yoga,\u00a0yoga for beginners, and other\u00a0gentler practices, but it also\u00a0becomes a welcome break from more intense poses \u2014 and I notice my students are often reluctant to leave it.<\/p>\n<p>In child\u2019s pose, you\u2019re basically in the fetal position on your mat (hence the name). When done correctly for your body, few poses feel so good.<\/p>\n<h2><strong data-redactor-tag=\"strong\">Child\u2019s Pose (Balasana): Step-by-Step Instructions<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><iframe src=\"http:\/\/players.brightcove.net\/1634697872\/SJeKARb7p_default\/index.html?videoId=5998941335001\" width=\"600\" height=\"337.5\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Start on all fours, with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your knees hip width or wider. Bring your big toes together.<\/li>\n<li>Exhale and sink your hips back toward your heels. Rest your belly between your thighs and your forehead on the mat.<\/li>\n<li>Extend your arms out in front of you (palms down to stretch the whole back) or along your sides (palms up to stretch between the shoulders).<\/li>\n<li>How long you should hold child\u2019s pose depends on how much time you have and what your body needs. Stay for a few deep breaths up to a few minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong data-redactor-tag=\"strong\">How to Make Child\u2019s Pose Easier<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Child\u2019s pose should feel easy. But \u201cfor some people, resting their torso on the front of their legs makes breathing feel like they\u2019re wearing a corset,\u201d says Stephanie Saunders, vice president of fitness programming at OzHelp, and a certified yoga instructor.<\/p>\n<p>If you can relate, she recommends opening your knees even wider. (This is also a common modification in yoga for pregnant women.) Here are some other ways to make child\u2019s pose easier on your body:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>For neck discomfort:\u00a0Turn your head to one side (switch sides every few breaths), or rest your forehead on a blanket or block.<\/li>\n<li>For tight ankles: Place a blanket under your shins and knees, with your ankles and feet on the mat. Or, try a rolled-up blanket or pillow under the front of your ankle.<\/li>\n<li>For knee issues: Keep your hips lifted to minimize the bend in your knees, or sit on a block to lift your butt away from your heels. You can also use a bolster under your chest.<\/li>\n<li>During pregnancy: While safe for pregnancy, yoga poses like balasana require some modifications as your belly grows. Spread your knees wider or use props as needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong data-redactor-tag=\"strong\">How to Get the Most Out of Child\u2019s Pose<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-170186\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/25113144\/childs-pose-600-harder.jpg\" alt=\"child&#039;s pose triceps stretch | Child&#039;s Pose\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>Child\u2019s pose doesn\u2019t get \u201charder,\u201d per se, but you can control which muscles feel the stretch. Here\u2019s how to intensify, or target, your child\u2019s pose.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Focus on the upper back: Extend your arms in front of you, then lift onto your fingertips. While pressing them firmly into the mat, lift your elbows, and start to \u201chollow\u201d your armpits while you round your upper back (as in cat pose).<\/li>\n<li>Target the triceps: Start with your arms extended in front of you, and press your palms together. Keeping your elbows on the mat, bring your hands overhead or toward your neck. If need be, separate the palms, but press your fingertips together.<\/li>\n<li>Stretch the lats and obliques: Keeping your lower body in child\u2019s pose, walk your hands off each side of the mat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong data-redactor-tag=\"strong\">Beginner\u2019s Tip for Doing Child\u2019s Pose<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Above all, child\u2019s pose should feel restful. \u201cIf you\u2019re tight in the front of your hips, the extensors of your spine, or even the tops of your feet, this position can feel like anything but a break,\u201d says Saunders. \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to use modifications and props until this pose feels comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong data-redactor-tag=\"strong\">Benefits of Child\u2019s Pose<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Balasana is about stretching, not strength, but it offers a number of benefits.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stretches and loosens your thighs, shins, knees, hips, ankles, spine, and arms.<\/li>\n<li>Helps relieve lower back pain.<\/li>\n<li>Calms the mind and body.<\/li>\n<li>Provides a rest between challenging asanas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I have a secret: I often get my yoga students through \u201cjust one more\u00a0vinyasa\u201d with the promise that child\u2019s pose (balasana) awaits them. Child\u2019s pose is a relaxing, feel-good pose that\u2019s accessible to yogis of all levels. It\u2019s one of my personal favorites \u2014 I swap it for\u00a0downward-facing dog\u00a0when my shoulders and legs need a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2914,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[91],"class_list":["post-2913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-fitness"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2913"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2913\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}