Bālāsana
Fold back over the heels with the forehead down, the child's resting pose, a cool dark cave to return to between every effort.
How to practice
Exhale to fold; soft breathing felt in the back of the ribcage.
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Kneel with the big toes touching and the knees together or wide.
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Exhale and fold the torso forward between or over the thighs; sit the hips toward the heels.
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Rest the forehead on the mat, arms extended forward or alongside the body.
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Let every exhale release the back a little more; breathe into the back ribs.
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Stay 8–20 breaths, longer whenever needed; rise slowly on an inhale.
Benefits
- Releases the back, shoulders and hips gently
- Calms the mind and cools intensity, the classic pause pose
- Softens the breath into the back of the ribs
- Eases fatigue between stronger poses or at the end of a day
Contraindications & cautions
- Knee injury or recent knee surgery, place a cushion between the heels and hips or avoid
- Pregnancy, take the knees wide so the belly is free
- Diarrhoea or an upset stomach, avoid the deep fold
- Ankle discomfort, place a rolled towel under the ankles
Skip or modify the pose on days a caution applies to you, and work with a qualified teacher for injuries, pregnancy or health conditions.
Watch a free guide
A free video walkthrough from a public teacher, loaded only when you scroll to it, via YouTube's privacy-enhanced player.
In the tradition
Every practice needs a home to return to, and this is the one; forehead down, world distant, breath slow. For pitta it is a cooling cave after heat; for vāta a shelter after wobble. Teachers repeat it like a mantra: rest is not the absence of practice; sometimes it is the practice.
Sources & further reading
- Extended Child's Pose (video guide) (opens in a new tab) , Yoga With Adriene, Foundations of Yoga
- Light on Yoga , B. K. S. Iyengar (the resting poses of the primary practice)
Classical citations mark where a tradition is drawn on; modern books and videos are shared as further guidance, not as prescriptions.