Balasana  child’s pose

Written by Dr. Sanjana V.B Bhms,dbrm,cdn

Founder & medical director of siahmsr wellness.in

All rights reserved with siahmsr digital healthcare[siahmsr wellness]

Reviewed by SIAHMSR medical team.

    It is a yoga pose which can calm and de-stress your body and mind. The name “Balasana”  is derived from the Sanskrit word "bala" which means child and "asana" meaning pose.

  Balasana is a resting pose for calming your body and mind relieving the physical strain and mental stress on your body. It is one of the best yoga poses to improve flexibility of your back and limb muscles. Although it is a simple pose , practice this step by step and after achieving flexibility in movement to back, legs and shoulders do it completely.

How to practice Balasana

·       First adopt table pose with your knees and palms resting on the ground .Now exhale and lower the hips and back to the heels and touch your forehead to the floor. You may keep the knees together or slightly apart in this pose.

·        Your forehead is touching the floor while your arms can be overhead with the palms on the floor. Relax the shoulders, jaw, and eyes.

The palms or fists can be stacked under the forehead, or the arms can be kept by the side of your body with the palms up.

·       Breathe slowly and deeply in this pose pressing the belly against the thighs.

·       Stay in this pose from 30 seconds to a few minutes according to your practice and experience.

·       Exhale gently and come to starting position.

Practice this yoga only under the guidance of a trainer.

Practice yoga in empty stomach.

Before practicing this yoga do some warm up exercises or simple yoga steps to improve flexibility in movements.

Contra indications

·       Do not practice this yoga if neck, back and shoulder injury persists.

·       Avoid doing it if you have any ailment to knee and heels.

·       Do not practice it in case of acute painful disc herniation.

·       Avoid during pregnancy

·       Avoid practicing this yoga if you are severely ill.

Health benefits

Balasana provides numerous health benefits to everyone who practices it regularly.

·       It is one of the best yoga poses for calming your mind and treat insomnia or sleeplessness.

·        It helps to stretch your back, hip and legs reducing back pain also.

·       Child’s Pose is a great way to stretch the shins and ankles, helping in relieving stress from muscles in the lower legs.

·       Quadriceps muscles on the front of thighs are also stretched in this yogasana.

·       Balasana also relieves the stress on neck and shoulders.

·       In a nutshell, the yoga pose helps to stretch the whole body, improving flexibility and helps in de-stressing mind and body.

·       This yoga pose also helps to relieve migraine, premenstrual tension and stress also.

References

1.    https://www.yogabasics.com/asana/child/

2.    https://www.artofliving.org/yoga/yoga-poses/child-pose-shishuasana

3.    https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/child-s-pose/