Balasana Pose

Today’s feature Pose is Extended Child’s Pose – Utthita Balasana! It’s the ultimate relaxation pose! It’s a great starting point or ending point to any sequence and a great spot to rest and reconnect to your inner experience. For such a juicy welcoming posture that provides so much comfort and ease it’s not so easy for student to honor the call.

Let’s keep in mind that the practice of Yoga is ultimately a homecoming, and it encourages choices based on direct experience in the moment. So when Utthita Balasana calls, come running with open arms!

Utthita Balasana is pronunciation is, bah-LAHS-anna, the translation from sanskrit to english is: Utthita = Extended, Bala = Child and Asana = Pose or Seat.

It’s al all levels Asana from the Seated Forward Bend Family. The extended (utthita) version is slightly different than traditional Child’s Pose in that your knees are splayed wide rather than together and touching. The extended version allows the ribcage to sink between the inner thighs and enhance the stretch in the spine.

Balasana Benefits & Precautions

Extended Child’s Pose stretches the entire spine, hips, groins and feet and releases fatigue, stress, insomnia and brings ease to the mind-body. It strengthens our ability to take rest and turn within. You will find it in many traditions including Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative and Prenatal Yoga.

Please refrain or vary the shape to suit your needs if you are working with spine, shoulder, neck or knee injuries.

Extended Childs Pose Introduction

In the following article learn Step- By- Step on How To enter Extended Child’s Pose and how to spend your time once you’ve arrived.

Per usual, detailed alignment on how best to stay safe. Plenty of different perspectives will be offered for all bodies, so everyone is included. Modifications and variations will be given so you can personalize your experience and make it just right for your body in the moment!

Keep in mind that if your a Teacher, you want to experience all the modifications and variations so you have a plethora of tools in your toolbox and you can serve all your students. Remember, yoga is a practice of direct experience and you must experience in order to really teach others.

I’ll also incldue the most Common Misalignments and how to best Fix It as well as precautions and who this pose is not for.

Lastly there is a final TIP, that can employ to assist you in getting the most out of your time in Balasana!

Please keep two blocks handy!

Extended Child’s Pose – Utthita Balasana Infographic

Balasana Pose Instructions

Balasana- Extended Child’s Pose. Start on all four in Table Top. Bring your big toes to touch and display your knees comfortably toward the outer edges of your mat.
Extend your hips back and down toward your heels and rest your upper body between your inner thighs. Feel your spine drop into your body.
Arms extend long and forward towards the front edge of your mat.
Forehead rests to the earth.

Here’s the hard part, receive. Receive the peace and relief that Balasana offers. Stay as long as you like and revisit as often as you please!

Balasana Pose Modifications & Variations

Modification #1– Take your forehead to a block (flattest height for most) if that feels more comforting for your neck.

Modification #2– Take a blanket behind the backs of the knees if your knees if you feel restrictions when taking your hips back.

Modification #3– Bring your inner thigh bones together and take your arm bones back along your side body, palms facing up. This is a great modification for anyone working with shoulder challenges.

Variation #1- Take a block underneath each of your palms and straighten the elbows so the forearms lift from the earth. This can help you find more articulation in the upper thoracic spine, chest and shoulders.

Variation #2- Take a bolster underneath your torso and an additional blanket under your skull. In this Restorative Variation you will turn your head to one side and stay 3-5 minutes and then turn your head in the opposite direction and enjoy another 3-5 minutes.

Common Misalignment

Common Misalignment– A super common place this pose goes south is students either take their knees too far apart (the bendie bodies) or they keep them too close (tighter bodies) and don’t benefit from the spine sinking into the back body.

The FIX – Take the knees a little closer (a few inches) so there’s no pressure on knees or explore taking the knees wider so your spine can drop down in between your thighs.

A TIP- You can assist the process of lengthening your spine by coming onto the crown of your fingertips. Crawl your fingertips forward on your inhales (your hips will naturally lift) and without losing ground gained with hands moving forward traction your hips back towards your heels on your exhales.

Conclusion

Extended Child’s Pose – Utthita Balasana is a quintessential yoga pose in any style of yoga. Its restorative in nature but can be used as a precursor or post pose to and asana sequence. It’s also a beautiful place to pause and reconnect to the life happening within you. Although it’s known as a resting posture I find that the ability to take it when needed is only for the mature. It’s always in your back pocket and never more than a choice away!

Utthita Balasana stretches the entire spine, hips, groins, the tops of the feet and releases fatigue. It brings ease to the mind-body and strengthens our ability to take rest and turn within. It’s considered an introverted pose and can be taken by anyone at anytime without any limitations on how long you stay.

One Last TIP: If your pregnant there’s a good chance that at some point during your pregnancy you will start to slump forward in the upper body. This is common and is a result of carrying the extra weight of the unborn baby.

The shoulders and chest are an area of tension and Extended Child’s Pose is an anecdotal shape for both pre and post natal asana. As your belly grows, you can simply adjust the pose by widening your knees and add perhaps adding a block underneath your forehead.

This is a pose that newbies often resist and over time embrace. Let us know what your favorite variation or modification is and how you benefited from it.

About

Jane

I teach a SOULFUL, slow flow alignment based Vinyasa where self inquire is encouraged and joy of being is the pinnacle.Read More..