This month's pose is Child's Pose. In Sanskrit--the original language of yoga--it's referred to as Balasana ("bala" = child + "asana" =pose). This pose might be experienced during warm-ups, as a brief resting pose, or during the cool-down portion of your yoga class sequence. This is a relaxing pose that helps one to recenter and ground, while also intimately connecting back to the breath.

Lessons

Somehow, when I walk around Patterson Park (my neighborhood park in Baltimore), I keep stepping into these pitfalls of disappointment. One moment I'm enjoying nature and my city, and the next I'm sighing, sucking my teeth, and shaking my head as I look at houses and blocks that are "better" than mine a few over. I once heard someone say that jealousy and comparison are how you steal your own joy. At first, I thought it was corny, but now I recognize its truth. Santosha (gratitude) is a foundational yoga principle that guides our behaviors.

This month's pose is Balasana, and I chose this pose because it is also a posture of prostration, or worship and adoration. Santosha is part of the Niyamas (values), and suggests we view our lives through a lens of contentment. We are enough; what we have is enough, even our imperfections. As Kanye West says in one of his songs, “everything I’m not, made me everything I am”. So let us remember to be grateful and focus our attention back on ourselves, instead of the outward distractions of comparison that steal our own happiness.

How To

Here are 5 steps to practice this pose:

1. Begin on hands and knees (tabletop position)

2. Bump the knees out wide to the sides and bring the feet together to touch

3. Sit back on the heels

4. Extend the arms forward

5. Place the forehead on the ground

Breathe deeply for 3-5 breaths

*Bonus Options* :

Place a thinly folded blanket or sweater under the knees for extra comfort on the knees

Sweep the arms backward by the sides for a soft relief in the muscles between the shoulder blades

Benefits

• Stretches and lengthens the spine, back muscles, and the ribs by opening the spaces between vertebrae

• Relaxes stiff muscles in the neck, shoulders, and lower back

• Stimulates digestive organs with gentle abdominal pressure, and blood circulation to organs increases because the legs are folded

Come practice this pose with us in the next yoga class!