How to do Child’s Pose

October 28, 2014 in Free Resources 1

Welcome back our monthly Kids Love Yoga (#kidsloveyoga) challenge.

Each month, we feature a new yoga pose you can practice with your children. Check out the collection of pictures below, where children from around the world demonstrate the focus pose. This month’s challenge is Child’s Pose.

My daughter and I are taking an eight-week class together at our local farm. Each week, we learn about a different animal through coloring pages, books, songs, discussions, and getting up close to the animal. Last week, we learned about turtles. The teachers passed around a turtle shell, and we learned that the spots on the top of the shell are called “scoots.” The children got into Child’s Pose, then they took turns trying on the shell to see how heavy it was so they could imagine carrying it around all day. My daughter and I used Child’s Pose to practice being turtles.

Another great idea for practicing Child’s Pose is to be a pumpkin for your fall or Halloween-themed yoga sequences. What other animals or things can you pretend to be in this resting pose?

Join us for this month’s pose: Child’s Pose

Sanskrit name: Balasana

Benefits:

Calms your mind and relieves stress.
Helps release tension in your lower back.
Stretches the muscles in your lower back, hips, and legs.
Allows you to rest and rejuvenate.
Enables you to feel the sensations of breathing deeply.

You could pretend to be a mouse, mole, sea urchin, rabbit, snail, hedgehog, ladybug, turtle, hippo, seed, rock, or pumpkin.

Description:

From all-fours, come back to resting on your heels, with your arms stretched out in front of you and palms flat on the ground. Gently bring your forehead to rest on the ground in front of your knees and lay your chest on your thighs. Slowly bring your arms to rest back alongside your body. Take a few long, deep breaths. Feel your body rising and falling with your breath.

Stay in this resting posture for a number of breaths. You can come to this resting pose at any time during your yoga practice or any time of the day. Child’s Pose is a great pose to teach children when they need to reboot after, or during, a busy day. It’s also a fabulous tantrum tamer.

Modifications:

If you have any lower back tension, simply widen your knees, keeping your big toes together, and bring your chest between your thighs.
If your forehead doesn’t reach the floor, place a cushion or block under your head.
If your buttocks don’t meet your heels, place a cushion under your buttocks.

Pictures of children in Child’s Pose:

Janice L.	Ask a Nanny
Kids Yoga Stories	Kids Yoga Stories
Koru Power Yoga Studio	Koru Power Yoga Studio
Koru Power Yoga Studio	Kids Yoga Stories
All Kids Yoga