CHILD’S POSE (BALASANA)


Child’s pose is a go-to posture for resting, restoring and relieving the body of stress -- both physical and mental. It also stretches the hips, knees, ankles, thighs and lower back and relaxes the spine, shoulders and neck. HOW TO DO IT: Begin kneeling on your yoga mat. Keep your knees touching or open them a little wider than your hips. “Keeping the knees together provides more support and is recommended for people with less flexibility,” says yoga teacher Tracy Sharp. Lower your butt onto your heels and your torso down toward the floor, resting your forehead on the mat. Extend your arms in front of you, palms facing up to intensify the stretch, or extend your arms behind you with your palms resting faceup next to your hips. For beginners who lack flexibility in the knees and hips, Sharp recommends placing a yoga block under the hips.