RESTORATIVE POSES · BEGINNER
Child's Pose
Bālāsana
A kneeling, folded-forward resting shape that lets you pause, breathe into your back and settle between other poses.
Also known as: Child Pose, Resting Pose, Balasana
At a glance
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Restorative poses, Forward folds
- Body focus
- Hips, Spine, Shoulders
- You will need
- Mat
- How long
- 5–10 slow breaths, or for as long as it stays comfortable.
How to practise
Start here: Kneel on your mat with your big toes close together and your knees about hip-width apart, or wider if that feels better.
- Sit your hips back towards your heels. They do not need to touch.
- Walk your hands forward along the mat and let your chest lower towards or between your thighs.
- Rest your forehead on the mat, a folded blanket or a block.
- Let your arms rest where they feel easiest, either reaching forward or alongside your body with the palms up.
- Let your shoulders, jaw and belly soften.
- Stay here and breathe slowly, feeling your back gently rise and fall.
Breath: Breathe into the back of your ribs, and let each out-breath help you settle a little more.
Coming out: Walk your hands back towards your knees and slowly roll up to sitting, lifting your head last.
Benefits
- Offers a calm, familiar place to rest during a practice
- Gently lengthens the back
- Invites a soft stretch around the hips and the fronts of the thighs
- Many people find it helps them slow the breath down
Common mistakes
-
Forcing the hips down to the heels
Try instead: Let your hips rest wherever they settle, or place a cushion between your heels and hips.
-
Letting the neck take weight
Try instead: Rest your forehead on something that lets your neck stay relaxed, such as a block or a folded blanket.
-
Holding tension in the shoulders
Try instead: Try the arms alongside your body with the palms up, and let your shoulders drape towards the mat.
Make it easier
- Place a folded blanket or cushion between your calves and thighs if your knees or ankles feel tight.
- Rest your chest on a bolster or a stack of pillows placed lengthways between your knees.
- Widen your knees to make more room for your belly and chest.
- If kneeling is not comfortable today, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor instead.
Cautions
- Widen your knees and avoid pressing your belly onto your thighs if you are pregnant or if pressure on the belly feels uncomfortable.
- Come up slowly, especially if you feel light-headed.
- This pose asks a lot of the knees. Pad them with a folded blanket, and ease off if you feel any sharp or twisting sensation.
Stop if anything hurts. For more, read our health disclaimer.
About this pose
Child’s Pose is often offered as a place to rest at any point in a practice. You never need permission to come into it.
Some days it feels deeply comfortable; other days your knees or ankles may ask for more padding. Both are fine. Adjust it until your breath feels easy.