Balasana is one of the most simple and delightful yoga asanas which can be practiced at the comfort of your home. It’s commonly called the child’s pose (bala means child in Sanskrit and asana means pose) or the resting pose due to its restorative abilities. If you’re a regular Balasana practitioner, then you may have already experienced the benefits associated with this beautiful asana. Often times, Balasana is done after a strenuous yoga session which includes warm ups, pranayama, and different yoga asanas to calm the breath and settle down. But it can also be practiced independently for relaxation and in order to reach a state of calm and bliss.

Steps to Practice Balasana

1. Sit on the floor on a yoga mat.
2. Begin the session in Vajrasana (the thunderbolt pose), keep your spine erect, and gently close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths.
3. Now slowly bend your body forwards toward your thighs and let your forehead touch the ground.
4. Place your arms adjacent to your feet with palms facing upwards. Relax completely. Make sure you’re comfortable in this pose before moving ahead.
5. Now take long, deep breaths. Inhale deeply and exhale completely. If it helps, when you’re inhaling, count to 4, and count to 6 when you’re exhaling.
6. Continue to practice for 5, 10, or 15 minutes as per your convenience. Once you’re done with the practice, return to Vajrasana and slowly open your eyes.

Precautions – Avoid Balasana if you’re pregnant or suffering from knee injury, diarrhoea, or high blood pressure.

Benefits of Balasana

• Increases blood circulation
• Helps cure back pain
• Helps cure neck pain
• Helps alleviate anxiety, depression, and stress
• Calms the mind and body
• Helps fight tiredness and fatigue
• Encourages strong and steady breathing
• Stretches and strengthens muscle of hips, thighs, and joints

Balasana is incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating. It’s one of the easiest yoga asanas which offers myriad benefits to the practitioner. While Balasana can be practiced independently, it can also precede or succeed different yoga asanas, meditation, and pranayama and can really help calm the mind and body.

So are you a devoted Balasana practitioner? How do you feel after practicing Balasana? Have you experienced any of the health benefits mentioned above? Let us know in the comments section.