If you want to relax and be stress-free, try doing balasana. Child’s pose has numerous health benefits.
When women choose yoga poses, they do so with their goals in mind. This can be to manage menstrual cramps or to relieve stress. If you are looking for an asana that involves stretching and something that calms your mind, choose Balasana. It is an asana for relaxation, which is also known as child’s pose. The interesting thing about it is that it does more than just calm the mind. Read on to learn the benefits of Balasana or Child’s Pose and how to do it properly.
What are the advantages of children’s pose or balasana?
Doing balasana is like a child – relaxed, calm and composed, says a leading global holistic health guru and corporate life coach Dr. Mickey Mehta. Here are some advantages:
1. Balasana helps to relieve stress
When you put your head on the ground and breathe out, you literally breathe out all your mental and emotional feeling stress. It brings clarity, creativity and resolves confusion, so your emotional tapestry changes.
2. Balasana helps improve digestion
If you do Child’s Pose on an empty stomach, it can help stimulate organs like the kidneys, liver, gall bladder, and intestines. It helps improve digestion, says the expert.
3. Balasana helps improve hip mobility
Balasana stretches the hip flexors, which can become tight due to prolonged sitting or strenuous physical activity. This, in turn, can help improve hip mobility.
4. Balasana helps to get rid of back pain
Stretching the spine, slightly lengthening it, relieves a lot of stress from the back and neck. This helps control pain in those areas.
5. Balasana helps you sleep better
You can do balasana after a hard day at work or strenuous exercise. It can help you relax and soothe your muscles, ensuring a good night’s sleep.
How to do balasana?
If you do not perform the asana properly, you will not be able to reap the benefits.
• Begin by kneeling with your knees about hip-width apart and your toes together.
• Keep your spine straight by sitting on your heels.
• Bend forward at the hips and extend your arms forward as you inhale and then exhale.
• Place your hands next to your body and place your forehead on a mat or pillow.
Concentrating on relaxation and deep breathing, hold the position for thirty seconds. But if you can do it longer, then you can stay in the pose for even two minutes.
But if it’s a bit difficult for you, adjust the pose as needed or put a pillow under your knees, especially if you have one knee problems.
Balasana variations
You can choose variations of balasana to break the monotony:
1. Stretched child’s pose
To improve the shoulder and back stretch, in this version, extend your arms forward as far as you can, suggests Dr. Mehta.
2. Balasana twisting
Starting in standard pose, place one hand on your wrist and slowly twist your torso to one side.
Although Balasana is a good and safe asana, people with knee or ankle injuries and pregnant women should avoid it. If you have high blood pressure, do not lower your head for a long time.
Others may benefit from adding this pose to their yoga practice. Always pay attention to your body, and if you have any specific concerns or medical conditions that might interfere with your practice, talk to your yoga instructor or doctor.
