Balasana "Child Pose" With Intrinsic Mind Wellness
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PHYSICAL BENEFITS:
ENERGETIC BENEFITS:
MUDRA: PRANA MUDRA
We recommend incorporating the Prana Mudra into your Child’s Pose exercise as it is believed to elicit our life force, or our prana, and activates the Svadhistana (Root) Chakra while stimulating the nourishing energy drawn from the floor.
How to: With each hand, place the tips of the thumb, ring finger and little finger together. Keep your other fingers extended. This mudra offers a stabilizing, calming preparation for the pose.
Contraindications and Cautions
Modifications and Props
If you have difficulty sitting on your heels in this pose, place a thickly folded blanket between your back thighs and calves.
- Gently stretches your lower back, hips, thighs, knees, and ankles
- Relaxes your spine, shoulders, and neck
- Increases blood circulation to your head, minimizing headache symptoms
ENERGETIC BENEFITS:
- Massages your internal organs
- Calms the mind and central nervous system
- Relieves stress, fatigue and tension
MUDRA: PRANA MUDRA
We recommend incorporating the Prana Mudra into your Child’s Pose exercise as it is believed to elicit our life force, or our prana, and activates the Svadhistana (Root) Chakra while stimulating the nourishing energy drawn from the floor.
How to: With each hand, place the tips of the thumb, ring finger and little finger together. Keep your other fingers extended. This mudra offers a stabilizing, calming preparation for the pose.
Contraindications and Cautions
- Diarrhea
- Pregnancy
- Knee injury: Avoid Balasana unless you have the supervision of an experienced teacher.
Modifications and Props
If you have difficulty sitting on your heels in this pose, place a thickly folded blanket between your back thighs and calves.
How Yoga Can Decrease Stress
The regular practice of yoga can help decrease stress and tension, increase strength, balance and flexibility, lower blood pressure and reduced cortisol levels. It also yields strong emotional benefits due to the emphasis on breathing and the interconnection of mind, body and spirit.
Frequent practice of yoga for stress management induces better sleep, helps individuals not to focus on things beyond their control and how to live in the present. It makes a stressful event a lot easier to handle, whether it's family or work.
Whatever misconceptions you have about yoga and stress management should take a back seat. While most people have the notion that you have to be flexible in order to do yoga, the truth is, anyone will benefit from yoga regardless of age. Even people who aren't flexible will actually see results faster. It's perfectly suited to all levels because yoga is a practice geared to helping you become aware of your own highly individual mind/body connection.
There are many different styles of yoga to suit your preference. Hatha yoga is one of the most flowing and gentle options that is a good choice as starting point. Vinyasa is more athletic while Iyengar concentrates on proper alignment. However, Bikram or “hot” yoga, is not recommended for beginners.
Yoga is considered as a deeply personal practice and no two people can or should hold a pose in exactly the same manner. A person has to work at his or her own level of flexibility, one that is challenging but not overwhelming. If you don't feel good with what the instructor is telling you to do, don’t do it. Your body will warn you if you are about to get hurt. It is important that you listen to your body, push the limits gently, but don’t let yourself be overcome by ego. Allow your body to guide you and be your friend.
The goal of yoga is to synchronize the breath and movement. It is important when to inhale and exhale as you work through poses. Breathing only through your nose keeps heat in the body and keeps the mind focused. Concentrating on your breath is the key to yoga for stress management, as it helps you let go of external thoughts and anxiety. The easiest way to bring yourself into the present moment is to focus on your breath. Feel how it goes down your nose and into your body. It helps you let go of the worrying thoughts.
As you end each yoga session, simply lie on your back with both arms at your side with eyes closed and breathing deeply. This final “corpse pose” is designed for deep relaxation.
Bear in mind that yoga is a slow process. Forget about expectations. Let go of competition and judgement. As yoga brings you into the present moment, you will experience joy not only in the physical movement and mental benefits but in spending time in the now.
Be sure to love, like and share
Cheers Leisa and Jen
Frequent practice of yoga for stress management induces better sleep, helps individuals not to focus on things beyond their control and how to live in the present. It makes a stressful event a lot easier to handle, whether it's family or work.
Whatever misconceptions you have about yoga and stress management should take a back seat. While most people have the notion that you have to be flexible in order to do yoga, the truth is, anyone will benefit from yoga regardless of age. Even people who aren't flexible will actually see results faster. It's perfectly suited to all levels because yoga is a practice geared to helping you become aware of your own highly individual mind/body connection.
There are many different styles of yoga to suit your preference. Hatha yoga is one of the most flowing and gentle options that is a good choice as starting point. Vinyasa is more athletic while Iyengar concentrates on proper alignment. However, Bikram or “hot” yoga, is not recommended for beginners.
Yoga is considered as a deeply personal practice and no two people can or should hold a pose in exactly the same manner. A person has to work at his or her own level of flexibility, one that is challenging but not overwhelming. If you don't feel good with what the instructor is telling you to do, don’t do it. Your body will warn you if you are about to get hurt. It is important that you listen to your body, push the limits gently, but don’t let yourself be overcome by ego. Allow your body to guide you and be your friend.
The goal of yoga is to synchronize the breath and movement. It is important when to inhale and exhale as you work through poses. Breathing only through your nose keeps heat in the body and keeps the mind focused. Concentrating on your breath is the key to yoga for stress management, as it helps you let go of external thoughts and anxiety. The easiest way to bring yourself into the present moment is to focus on your breath. Feel how it goes down your nose and into your body. It helps you let go of the worrying thoughts.
As you end each yoga session, simply lie on your back with both arms at your side with eyes closed and breathing deeply. This final “corpse pose” is designed for deep relaxation.
Bear in mind that yoga is a slow process. Forget about expectations. Let go of competition and judgement. As yoga brings you into the present moment, you will experience joy not only in the physical movement and mental benefits but in spending time in the now.
Be sure to love, like and share
Cheers Leisa and Jen
