Time to take it back to basics! I wanted to go over child's pose, or balasana in Sanskrit, a wonderfully restoring and centering pose. It's suitable for everyone- from beginners to advanced yogis, and has numerous benefits. Let's break it down.
How to do it:
1. Come down to a kneeling position. Big toes touch, spine long, arms down by your side. You can choose to spread the knees wide, keeping the big toes touching, or just stay with your knees out in front of you, parallel to each other. Breathe deeply.
2. On your next exhale, fold your torso over your thighs and rest your forehead on the ground. Bring your arms out in front of you finding space in the arm pits, and lengthen from your fingertips through the tailbone. Big toes are still touching. Rest and surrender. Come out as gracefully as you went into the pose.
Benefits: Good for letting go of stress. Gently stretches the hips, thighs and ankles.
Tips: Avoid balasana if you are pregnant or have knee issues. If it's hard for you to sit back on your calves, place a rolled up blanket horizontally between your calves and thighs.