Child pose, or Balasana, is the first form of yoga asana that is considered the most fundamental or relaxing pose. This pose is widely used for stretching, grounding, or calming down your body and mind simultaneously.
Though it is simple to perform, still many of you find difficulty in performing it. While many fail in holding this posture. Because of their knee pain, limited flexibility, and tight hips, or heavy weight.
However, you can easily improve this Balasana with small adjustments, which can significantly improve the comfort levels and effectiveness in the child pose.
This write-up gives you detailed insights into the Child Pose benefits, common challenges that many of you tackle while performing it, and how you can make the Child Pose more accessible and enjoyable with 5 easy modifications.
Benefits of the Child’s Pose
The Third Eye is located at the center of the forehead, a bit above the eyebrows, corresponding to the pineal gland in the brain.
This ajna chakra is related to your intuition, higher knowledge, and inner wisdom.
You can easily balance your Third Eye by practicing meditation, yoga posture, and visualization techniques and focusing on that area with the Om or Aum chanting.
There are certain benefits to adding the child pose to your yoga routine. Likewise,
Relief from Stress
To get instant relief from stress and anxiety, you can sit in balasana in a forward bend position. This child pose improves your deep breathing and activates your nervous system. Which is responsible for promoting relaxation and reducing stress hormones.
Improved Back and Spine Health
During Balasana practice, you will feel a gentle stretch to your spine, which releases tension and boosts your flexibility. This child pose especially benefits those who spend long sitting or standing hours, like corporate employees. It allows you to improve your bad body posture.
Healthy Digestive System
The soft compression of the abdomen during the child pose stimulates your digestive organs, which helps in improving digestion.
Menstrual Cycle Improves
Every girl or woman should try the Child Pose. Anyone who is experiencing menstrual cramps, this balasana will give you relief by soothing your abdominal muscles and reducing lower back pain.
You’ll Enjoy a Good Sleep
If you add the child pose to your habit before sleep time. You will experience that your mind and body will both calm, and you will experience a good and restful sleep.
Promotes Body Awareness
This child pose increases your mind and body awareness. Additionally, this pose allows practitioners to sync with their body sensations and emotions, which will foster a deeper connection with other bodies.
Key Tips to Master the Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Though the balasana is loaded with so many benefits, there are still many struggles in performing it. For them, below are some tips mentioned that they can follow to improve their posture.
- Maintain Proper Alignment: To keep the alignment, keep your knees on the floor and then separate your knees.
- Relax Your Shoulders: Do not overburden your shoulders. Let them lie in their real state.
- Control Your Breath: Inhale and exhale deeply and bend forward in such a way that your torso lays down between your thighs.
- You can Use Props: In your earlier stages, you can use blankets or blocks for support.
- Practice according to capacity: When you are a newbie as a balasana practitioner, don’t practice beyond your body’s limits.
Common Challenges Underlying Child’s Pose
Though the child pose seems to be simple to perform, still many of the practitioners complain about several aches and issues. A few are detailed below.
The first challenge you may encounter because of practicing balasana is knee pain because when you start the child pose, you’ll need to sit down on the ground.
Next, you may feel tight hips and limited flexibility because stretching muscles cause pain when they deform or come to their original state.
Problem with the ankle because during the child pose, your ankles will balance your entire body, and these will make contact with rough and hard ground surfaces.
You may encounter a lower back problem in your balasana practice because your torso or back will stretch, and it may cause pain.
The next issue you may encounter is a breathing issue.
Variations and Modifications of the Child’s Pose
If you face issues in performing the child pose. You can slightly change the balasana practice.
1. Child Pose Bolster
Avoiding to fold completely forward, or if you are experiencing pain in the knees, the best way to alleviate this is to provide a rigid pillow or bolster.
How to do it:
- Place a bolster or folded blanket between your thighs and lean your upper body on it.
- You can even adjust your forehead in such a way that it gets more support.
- Keep your arms close to your body or lengthen them forward.
2. Widen the Knees for More Space
If your hips are stiff or you do not have enough room to move into the child’s pose, a simple way to deal with it is by widening the knees to create more space.
How to do it:
- Keep bending the knees and, at the same time, touch your big toes under the mat as you open up your thighs.
- Transition your chest toward the ground, focusing on your arms reaching forward.
- Take your sit bones in the direction of your heels.
3. Frog Pose
If the issue is in the knees or ankles, the utilization of a soft pad for cushioning can be helpful. Because under this pose, you will experience deep hip opening.
How to do it:
- Curl up the blanket and sit it below your knees as a way of cushioning.
- If you have pain in your ankles, you might roll a small towel and put it underneath the heels.
4. Child Pose Variation Both Arms To Side
When practicing the same with your arms in front of you, shoulders can get tense, so letting them be on the sides is a more relaxing approach.
How to do it:
- If you can, just lower your arms along your body, facing the palms up, instead of stretching in front of you.
- Besides letting your shoulders descend naturally, it is equally important to fully let go and relax.
5. Stay Elevated with a Chair for Gentle Support
When bending is tough due to knee or hip pain, an alternative position with a sitting variation may be just what the doctor ordered.
How to do it:
- Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the ground.
- Lean forward, resting your torso on your thighs or a table.
- Let your arms relax on the surface in front of you.
Final thoughts
Child’s Pose is a highly restorative pose with a lot of benefits, but there are many ways to do it depending on what you need. Props, wider knees, or a seated variation. These simple adjustments make it easy to find a comfortable variation of the pose.
Yoga is a practice of listening to your body and modifying the practice according to your needs. Once you make these adjustments, you can let your body relax and enjoy the restorative properties of the child’s pose without the discomfort.
FAQs
1. Is it normal to feel discomfort in the child’s pose?
Yes, it is very normal, especially when you have tight hips or knees and your stiffness level is high.
2. I am pregnant. Should I try the Child Pose?
Try to avoid this time. However, you can opt for a wider knee position with the block support.
3. How long should I hold the child’s pose?
If you have breathing issues, try to start with 10–15 seconds and take it to 30 seconds and beyond.
4. Can I do the child’s pose if I have knee pain?
Well, you can make a variation in the child pose if you have knee pain. You can stretch your knees or put a blanket under your knees.
5. What can I do if my ankles hurt in the child’s pose?
The very first stop in your practice is placing a rolled towel under the ankles, which can relieve pressure and make the pose more comfortable.
6. Is the child’s pose good for back pain?
Yes, it can gently stretch and relieve lower back tension. However, if you experience pain, use a bolster or adjust your positioning.
