Child’s Pose
Puppy Pose
balasana
uttana shishosana
The calming child’s pose is a resting posture
that can help quiet the mind, easing stress and
anxiety while gently stretching the back. It’s
also good for the nervous system and lymphatic
system. It is very restorative, and allow us to
come inward to ourselves.
A variation of the child’s pose, with a heartopening effect, this mild inversion pose can
help to counter our tendency to crouch and
slouch the shoulders when stressed or sitting at
a desk. This is a wonderful pose for stretching
the spine and shoulders, thereby increasing circulation and greater range of motion. Or, in
other words, it feels so yummy!
Step by Step:
1. Kneel on the floor. Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels, then separate
your knees about as wide as your hips.
2. Exhale, and lay your torso down between
your thighs. Lengthen your tailbone away
from the back of the pelvis while you life the
base of your skull away from the back of your
neck.
3. Lay your hands on the floor alongside your
torso, palms up, and release the fronts of
your shoulders toward the floor. Feel how the
weight of the front shoulders pulls the shoulder blades wide across your back. Relax.
Breathe.
4. Balasana is a resting pose. Stay anywhere
from 30 seconds to a few minutes. To come
up, first lengthen the front torso, inhale, and
gently raise the torso up.
Step by Step:
1. Come onto all fours. See that your shoulders
are above your wrists, and your hips are
above your knees. Walk your hands forward
a few inches and curl your toes under.
2. As you exhale, move your hips halfway back
toward your heels. Keep your arms active;
don’t let your elbows touch the ground.
3. Drop your forehead to the floor or to a blanket and let your neck relax. Keep a slight
curve in your lower back. To feel a nice long
stretch in your spine, press the hands down
and stretch through the arms while pulling
your hips back toward your heels.
4. Breathe into your back, feeling the spine
lengthen in both directions. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute, then release your hips
down onto your heels.