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%Begin How to Do Child's Pose (Balasana) Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Yoga Poses
How to Do Child's Pose (Balasana) in Yoga
Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes By Ann Pizer Ann Pizer Ann Pizer is a writer and registered yoga instructor who teaches vinyasa/flow and prenatal yoga classes. Learn about our editorial process Updated on March 27, 2020 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research.
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Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more.
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by Sara Clark Reviewed by
Sara Clark Sara Clark is an EYT 500-hour certified Vinyasa yoga and mindfulness teacher, lululemon Global Yoga Ambassador, model, and writer. Learn about our Review Board Print Verywell / Ben Goldstein Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Benefits Step-by-Step Instructions Common Mistakes Modifications and Variations Safety and Precautions Try It Out Targets: Resting, gentle stretch Level: Beginner Child's Pose (Balasana) is yoga's most important resting posture and it is a nice way to gently stretch various parts of your body.
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It's a chance to stop what you are doing, reassess your position, reconnect with your breath, and prepare yourself to move forward. In class, the teacher may offer the opportunity to rest in child's pose after a fast-paced vinyasa sequence, a long hold in a pose like Downward Facing Dog or Plank, or an attempt at a challenging inversion.
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It is a counter pose for Cobra and other back extensions. Benefits Child's Pose is a gentle stretch for the back, hips, thighs, and ankles. It can help relieve back pain.
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Learning to use this pose wisely is the part of your developing practice where you listen to your body's inner voice and do what it tells you. Your body will tell you when to rest.
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It might need different things on different days. Keeping your ear finely tuned to the messages your body is sending you and respectfully responding to them is the greater lesson that child's pose has to offer.
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You will come to know when to use Child's Pose during your yoga practice. Step-by-Step Instructions Come to your hands and knees on the yoga mat.
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Spread your knees as wide as your mat, keeping the tops of your feet on the floor with the big toes touching. Bring your belly to rest between your thighs and root your forehead to the floor.
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Relax the shoulders, jaw, and eyes. If it is not comfortable to place the forehead on the floor, rest it on a block or two stacked fists. There is an energy point at the center of the forehead in between the eyebrows that stimulates the vagus nerve and supports a "rest and digest" response.
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Finding a comfortable place for the forehead is key to gaining this soothing benefit. There are several possible arm variations. You can stretch your arms in front of you with the palms toward the floor or bring your arms back alongside your thighs with the palms facing upwards. These are the most common variations.
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But you can also stretch the arms forward with palms facing up for a shoulder release or try bending the elbows so that the palms touch and rest the thumbs at the back of the neck. In this position inch the elbows forward.
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Do whichever feel more comfortable for you. If you've been doing a lot of shoulder work, the second option feels nice.
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Stay as long as you like, eventually reconnecting with the steady inhales and exhales of your breath. Common Mistakes Your neck should stay in neutral position.
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If you find you are bending your neck, use a pillow, yoga block, or another prop to keep pressure off your neck. Modifications and Variations
Need a Modification You can choose to keep the knees together instead of separating them if that is more comfortable for you.
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Likewise, you can curl the toes under if it is painful to have the feet flat, or place a rolled towel under your shins to take the stress off of your ankles. You can place a yoga blanket or a towel underneath the knees for padding and added support. For a restorative variation, place a bolster or pillow under your stomach or chest and assume the pose for up to 10 minutes.
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Up for a Challenge You can get a deeper stretch of hips by spreading your knees wider. Safety and Precautions Avoid Child's Pose if you have a knee injury.
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If you are pregnant, spread your legs wider and don't press your stomach onto your thighs. If you have a shoulder injury, keeping your arms by your side will provide the most support.
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If you feel any pain, ease out of the pose. Try It Out Incorporate this move and similar ones into one of these popular workouts: Yoga Poses for Back Pain
Hip-Opening Yoga Poses
10 Warmup Poses 1 Source Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Staugaard-Jones JA. The Concise Book of Yoga Anatomy, An Illustrated Guide to the Science of Motion. North Atlantic Books; 2015.
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By Ann Pizer
Ann Pizer is a writer and registered yoga instructor who teaches vinyasa/flow and prenatal yoga classes. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful?
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Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Related Articles 31 Yoga Poses for Beginners 7 Best Poses to Try With a Yoga Wheel Where Is Your Third Eye Located on the Body?
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Past the Basics: Yoga Poses for Intermediate Levels Introduction to Vinyasa Flow Yoga How to Do Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) Start Your Yoga Practice With a Sun Salutation Warm up Sequence How to Stay Safe While Doing Yoga in Pregnancy How You Can Do a Yoga Forearm Stand (Pincha Mayurasana) Open Up Your Hips and Stretch Your Inner Thighs With Frog Pose How Restorative Yoga Can Improve Your Relaxation How to Do Eye of the Needle Pose (Sucirandhrasana): Techniques, Benefits, Variations How to Do Compass Pose (Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana): Techniques, Benefits, Variations How to Work on the Elusive Psoas Muscle With Yoga How to do Tortoise Pose (Kurmasana) in Yoga How to Do Staff Pose (Dandasana): Techniques, Benefits, Variations When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site.
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