- Category
- Reclining
- Level
- beginner
- Hold
- 5–10 breaths, or up to 2 minutes
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Slow and even; let each exhale soften the hips a little more.
Happy Baby
Ananda Balasana — "blissful child pose (ananda = bliss, bala = child)"
Also known as: Dead Bug Pose
On your back, knees drawn wide toward your armpits, hands holding the outsides of your feet. A playful, grounding hip opener that keeps the spine safe on the floor.
Step by step
- 1Lie on your back and hug your knees into your chest.
- 2Separate your knees wider than your torso and draw them toward your armpits.
- 3Lift the soles of your feet toward the ceiling, shins roughly vertical.
- 4Reach up and hold the outer edges of your feet, ankles, or shins.
- 5Draw your knees gently down while pressing your feet up into your hands.
- 6Keep your tailbone and the back of your head heavy on the floor.
- 7Stay and breathe, or rock slowly from side to side.
Benefits
- ✓ Opens the inner thighs, groins, and hips
- ✓ Gently lengthens the lower back while it stays supported by the floor
- ✓ Encourages slow, easy breathing at the end of practice
- ✓ Rocking side to side gives the back muscles a light massage
Make it yours
- · Loop a strap around each foot if reaching them lifts your head or tailbone off the floor.
- · Hold behind your thighs instead of your feet for an easier version.
- · Rest your head on a folded blanket if your chin juts toward the ceiling.
Take care
- In late pregnancy, extended time flat on your back may be uncomfortable — prop your upper body up or choose a different hip opener.
- Go gently if your hips or knees are sensitive; there's no need to pull hard.
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Practiced in
Props that help here
- 8-foot cotton strap — Extends your reach in hamstring and shoulder work — the honest substitute for grabbing a foot you can't yet reach. Get 8ft, not 6ft. find one
- Yoga blanket — Folded under the hips in seated poses, under the knees in kneeling ones, under the shoulders for shoulderstand. A firm household blanket works too. find one
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