Yoga Pose: Happy Baby ~ Ananda Balasana

Happy baby is a gentle pose that we yogis usually do towards the very end of a practice.  Whether the practice is gentle or very physically demanding, it is nice to transition to the floor and end with some finishing poses that transition you nicely into 5-12 minutes of savasana.

Happy baby is perfect for this transition.  Not only are you on the floor, supine, but you are gently opening the inside of the hips.  You do not need to be able to touch or grasp the feet nor arches, you can grab the backs of the thighs, the calfs, or use a strap.  

The goal of this pose is to gently lower the knees towards the floor in a wide spread manner.  The soles of the feet point towards the sky.  You may rock a bit, but try to keep the spine and the shoulders on the ground.  

Once into the position try connecting to the breath again.  A big inhale with the belly getting larger, then pulling the naval towards the spine for an even bigger exhale.  This pose can be done for a few breaths, or up to 20 minutes.  

In a yoga practice 5-10 is a great amount of breaths to do in this pose.  If you are in a Yin yoga class, this pose may be done for 3+ minutes.

​ If you have never tried a Yin yoga class, be sure to drop in on one, or email me for a sequencing routine for a beginner Yin.  Enjoy your happy baby pose.  Experiment with extending a legout and to the side of the body, then the other, find the simple joy of this beautiful hip opener.  Thanks again for reading my blog.  I appreciate your time.