Featured Pose: Balasana (Child's Pose)

Balasana
(Child’s Pose)

Kneeling down into child’s pose is a simple way to reconnect with that sweet, child-like part of the mind and body that knows to move in the ways that feel best.  Child’s Pose is a great neutralizer: It is often used to soothe the nervous system after backbends and between deep forward bends - it generates gentle traction along the entire spine.  It is a soothing break to go into a child’s pose between more challenging poses or sequences because it is so restful.   Get down and give it a try, it feels great! 

Brian says:  

I'm always happy to spend time in child's pose, and look forward to a healthy dose of it in classes this month.  Since the body is so compressed, it's easy to feel chest pushing into the legs as the torso expands on the inhale, because of this it's a great position for breath awareness exercises.  Not only can you feel the breath, but you can also hear it.  Hmmm.... ratio breathing in child's pose... I think I may be onto something.

One of the reasons it's so calming is that it brings your awareness inward, which in general helps to soothe the mind.  I really like the adjustment that teacher's sometimes give in this pose - gentle pressure with the hands on the back.  Gemma does this often in her classes, which is one of the big reasons I go!

Balasana Benefits:  

• Healing, restful pose

• Gently stretches the spine

• Compression of the stomach and chest is good for digestion

• Psychologically soothing

Balasana Warnings:

• Avoid if you are pregnant, have diarrhea, or have an eye or ear infection

• Avoid or modify if you have torn ligaments in your knees or ankles

• Can be uncomfortable just after eating

Modifications for Child’s Pose:

• If you have knee issues, you can modify by placing a towel between the thighs and calves.

• A blanket under the ankles can reduce pressure on the tops of the feet.

• Arms out in front or alongside the head (a variation sometimes called Prayer Pose) is a more neutral version that can make the pose easier

• One or two thick pillows between thighs and torso can ease pressure on a stiff back.

If you're new to OWY Focus Pose of the Month:
This a way to give our students a way of expanding their yogic learning and deepening their understanding of specific asanas.  These poses will not necessarily be included in every class, but you may notice the focus pose, support poses and counter poses recurring in different classes with different teachers representing their own personal perspectives.  We hope that this will give students a chance to more thoroughly learn poses from a variety of vantage points.