Hello Balasana (Child’s Pose)

Balasana is composed of two Sanskrit words “bala” which translates as young, childish, not fully grown or develop, and “asana,” which means pose or posture. Thus, it is commonly known as the “child’s pose.” The name comes from the fact that it is a pose that resembles a child in a resting position.

Source: “Yoga anatomy” written by Leslie Kaminoff

Balasana better known as child’s pose is yoga's most important restorative and resting asana, for its calming, grounding, and relaxing effects. It is a nice way to gently stretch various parts of our body since gently stretches the lower back, hips, and thighs while calming the mind and relieving stress, therefore practicing this posture can help us improve our posture, reduce pain, and improve our overall health.

Balasana is also a wonderful way to let us take a breath and regain breath between more active poses.

​DRISHTI / GAZE	Eyes closed.
PHYSICAL BENEFITS	Alleviates head, neck, and chest pain. Opens the pelvic floor, hips, and lower back. Stretches ankles, knees, and hips. Opens the upper back.
MENTAL BENEFITS	Focuses the mind. Reduces stress. Reduces fatigue. Brings mental clarity.
COUNTERPOSES	Savasana (corpse pose).
THIS ASANA PREPARES THE BODY FOR:	Utthita Balasana (extended Child's Pose). Anahatasana (extended puppy or heart chakra pose). Virasana (hero pose). Sasangasana (rabbit pose).

NOW LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN WORK THIS POSE

1. From a Table position, bring the hips back and lower them and sit on your heels. Have the knees together or if more comfortable, spread the knees slightly apart and try to keep the pelvis or waist completely straight. Take a few breaths here.

2. Now inhale, take a deep breath, and lengthen the spine.

3. Exhaling aligns the upper body towards the front in a forward bend.

4. Keep both hands backward and note that the back of your palm touches the floor and is close to the legs. Lay your arms by the thighs with palms facing up and feel how the weight of your shoulders lightly spreads the shoulder blades. And try to touch the head on the ground in front. Keep breathing at your natural rhythm.

5. Remain in this posture for 1 minute and keep breathing slowly. Either close your eyes or gaze at the floor as per comfort.

6. To release, firstly bring your palms near the shoulder and slowly raise your upper body by giving the inner palms support on the floor.

7. Realign and seat on your heals. Perform all these alignments gently with breath awareness.

NOTE: Those who cannot place the head on the mat can use props such as a pillow, block, or bolster to rest the head.

Source: Yoga Screen

Source: VENTUNO Yoga

Hello Sukhãsana (Easy or comfortable Pose)

Source: “Yoga anatomy” written by Leslie Kaminoff

Easy Pose is a standard, basic, and foundational meditative pose that facilitates meditation and pranayama sessions, being this the reason why Yogis have been practicing Sukhasana for centuries. But the truth is that this pose might not be so simple, especially for the occidental adult people... It was so easy when we were a child, but as an adult, sitting cross-legged can be tricky due to the joints that are no longer accustomed to the required rotation and flexibility, thanks to a chair-oriented culture that can cause tight hips and achy knees.

Because we tend to be sitting in a chair for several hours a day, this encourages our body to lean back and sink into our midsection and if we work in front of a screen, we might have rounded shoulders and a tendency to lean forward.

Also to be in this pose for a long period of time, we have to engage our core, and back muscles in order to allow us to distribute the weight evenly over the sitting bones.

But not everything is hard, because with this pose very quickly you will improve awareness regarding the body’s posture and you will, for sure, learn how to keep the spine in an ideal position.

Also, calms the mind and body: If you are mentally stressed or had a tiring day, this posture will offer peace and mental calm.

​DRISHTI / GAZE	Forward. Eyes closed.
PHYSICAL BENEFITS	Opens the hips. Increases knee flexibility and lubricates the knee joints. Prevents arthritis and osteoporosis. Tones abdominal organs. Promotes proper digestive system functions.
MENTAL BENEFITS	Focuses the mind. Reduces stress. Brings mental clarity.
COUNTERPOSES	Dandasana (staff pose). Balasana (child's pose). Savasana (corpse pose).
THIS ASANA PREPARES THE BODY FOR:	Meditation. Breathing exercises. Dandasana (Staff Pose) Marjaryasana (Cat Pose) Bitilasana (Cow Pose)

NOW LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN WORK THIS POSE

1. Sit on your mat with the legs straight in front of you as in Dandasana (Staff Pose). Bend your legs and cross the right shin over the left. Draw the knees closer together by slipping each foot beneath the opposite knee and bringing the shins toward the torso. There should be a comfortable gap between your feet and the pelvis. To help you elongate the spine, place the hands beside the hips, cupping the fingers.

2. Now, doing this if you notice that your knees are higher than your hip level, and depending on how high they are, you should sit over two or three folded blankets, or even over a block.

3. Then, keep your pelvis in a neutral position, without tilting forward or back in a firm seating position. Press the fingertips toward the floor, breath in, and lift the trunk up vertically. Breathe out keeping the elongating that you just achieved.

4. Rest the hand on your knees.

5. You can sit in this position for any length of time, but be sure to alternate the cross of the legs, so that the left leg and right leg have equal time on top.

Source: YOGA: The Iyengar way by Silva Mehta

Source: YOGA WITH LENA

WAYS OF PRACTICE

• Sit on one or more folded blankets to elevate your hips slightly and offer more space for your hips to open.

Source: “Yoga anatomy” written by Leslie Kaminoff

• Sit with your back to a wall, slightly closer than the length of a yoga block, and wedge the end of the block between the wall and your lower shoulder blades.

• Sit on the front edge of a folded blanket or bolter. Lean slightly forward on the prop to help tilt your pelvis forward and create a more neutral spine. If your knees are lifted, place blocks or folded blankets underneath them to alleviate pressure in your hips and knees.

• Or, sit toward the front of a chair with your back away from the back of the chair. Lengthen your tail bone toward the floor and firm your shoulder blades against your back to lengthen your upper torso. Root your feet to the floor with your ankles under your knees so that your legs create a right angle. Place your hands on your thighs or knees, or fold your hands in your lap.