Child’s Pose or Balasana thoroughly deserves its reputation as one of the most relaxing yoga poses. As well as the obvious physical benefits like stretching the hips and lower back, it’s also soothing for our adrenal glands, which get overworked when we’re constantly on a stress treadmill.
Because Child’s Pose is also a mild inversion, it helps calm and slow down an agitated mind, which is actually where a lot of our stress begins in the first place.
Using Our Internal Resources to Deal with Stress
I know it’s easy to lash out at loved ones, or to reach for the wine after a busy or stressful day. But when we do that, we either regret our misdirected outburst or we gulp the glass back too quickly, and end up feeling worse!
In my experience with managing stress, the most successful techniques are those where we call on our internal resources. Child’s Pose creates the space for us to do just that.
The Benefits of Child’s Pose
I like to teach and practice Child’s Pose as a way to restore and rejuvenate on every level. For this reason, it’s always been more than just a physical pose for me.
It’s a great way to start your yoga practice and connect to your body and breath, and perfect for those moments between challenging postures, when you need to chill for a few counts before resuming an intense pose or sequence.
It’s particularly beautiful when done straight after a heart opening backbend like Bow or Camel, as it allows you to take all of that energy you’ve cultivated and direct it back inside.
If you want a little bit of inspiration, I’ve created a short video that uses a colour visualisation that can even further enhance the relaxation benefits of Balasana. So next time you come home feeling frazzled, put aside the urge to snap or gulp, and try this instead!