Child’s Pose

For the inaugural Daily Pose, we have Child’s Pose (Balasana). Child’s Pose is a resting posture.

At the beginning of practice, we come to Child’s Pose to ground ourselves, and check in. We feel the fibers of our muscles wrapping around our bones, and we drop into ourselves, finding compassion. Here we can cultivate our breath and release our problems to focus fully on ourselves.

During a practice we may come to Child’s Pose to lower our heart rates and reconnect with our breath after an arduous arm balance or a series of cleansing twists. In Child’s Pose we can heal, and return to our practice ready to continue.

Outside of a yoga practice, we can also use Child’s Pose. The next time you feel the need for a nap in the middle of the day, I challenge you to take a 2 minute Child’s Pose. Slow down your breathing and check in with yourself. Feel the areas you might be holding tension and breathe into them. Observe the rest, and enjoy it. Once your two minutes is up, you should feel calm and alert, and ready to face the rest of your day.

Exhale, Child’s Pose: From a kneeling position, bring your big toes to touch and take your knees wide. Lower your forehead to the mat and extend your arms forward. Place your palms face-down for a grounding effect, or face-up to be receptive to the world around you.

Namaste.