Yoga

Child's Pose: The Resting Stretch For the Mind and Body

Child’s Pose is a favorite of yogis everywhere. Learn the benefits, how to do it, and how to level up using a unique breathing technique.

Child’s Pose is a forward-bending restorative pose. It stretches the thighs and ankles. Child’s Pose also calms the sympathetic nervous system and relieves stress and fatigue.

This resting pose gets its name from the Sanskrit words Shishu (sh-i-sh-u-sa-na) or Balasana (ba-LAH-sa-na). Shishu, or Bala, means child, and asana means pose.

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Benefits of Child’s Pose

When you practice Child's Pose on a regular basis, you can expect to enjoy these benefits.

Provides deep relaxation for the back
Relieves constipation
Calms the nervous system
Stretches the thighs and ankles

Precautions

knee injury

Serious injuries involving the back muscles
Knee injury
Pregnancy
Recent or current diarrhea
Currently experiencing neck pain
Shoulder injury

Preparatory Poses

passively stretching

On the one hand, there isn't a true preparatory pose for Child's Pose, given that it is a gentle stretch following other more difficult poses. On the other hand, it is good to incorporate a general warm-up before this resting pose. You can also do backward bend poses prior to the Child's Pose. This way, the Child's Pose becomes a counter pose. But if you are creating a yoga sequence for yourself, consider these poses prior to practicing Child’s Pose.

Child’s Pose step-by-step instructions

child's pose with palms facing up

Sit on your heels with your big toes touching and knees slightly apart
Keep your hips on your heels, bow forward, and lower your forehead to the floor
Keep your arms alongside your body with your hands on the floor, palms facing up
Gently press your chest on your thighs
Continue breathing in this resting position to promote relaxation
On an inhalation, slowly raise your abdomen, uncurling your spine vertebra by vertebra, and come up to a seated position

Child’s Pose modifications

child's pose with yoga block

To Modify:

Keep your knees wider for added comfort
Use a yoga block or stacked fists under your forehead to help keep the neck relaxed
Extend your arms in front of you with elbows resting on the ground for a deeper stretch
If you're still working on the flexibility to keep your forehead on the ground and your sit bones on your heels, use a folded blanket under your buttocks.
If you're still working on the flexibility to keep your forehead on the ground and your sit bones on your heels, use a folded blanket under your buttocks.

Follow-up poses

corpse pose on yoga mat

Corpse Pose

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