Balasana is a quintessential asana to stabilize and soothe your whole being. The entire front of the body including the head is supported, providing spaciousness to the back of the lungs, and expansion of the back ribs. The gaze of the eyes and focus of attention is turned inward toward the mind’s source and childlike joy.
The deepening of the breath and slowing down of brain functions enhances the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for deepening our capacity to rest and digest.
Practice Steps:
- Begin on all fours in Table on a stable and soft surface – use a blanket on your mat or mat on a rug.
- Allow your breath to flow as you exhale down into your hands and guide your hips and belly back.
- By pressing down into your hands, elongate your spine, and tissues around your torso, before releasing your torso on or between your legs.
- Your body should feel comfortable and able to relax. If not, explore the variations below or engage help from a teacher.
- Close your eyes and let your face relax.
- Allow your breath to dome your back body, widening your shoulders, back ribs, waistline, and sacral area.
- Imagine and sense releasing tension from the midline of your back horizontally and down along the sides of your body from hips to crown.
- Progressively lengthen your time in the asana from two to eight minutes, with ease.
VariationsIf you are not comfortable, experiment with variations:
- Take your knees and/or hands wider.
- Place a folded blanket or bolster support between your buttocks and heels.
- Support your forehead with stacked hands or folded blanket.
- Raise and support your entire torso on a bolster, bolster angled with a block, or on the seat of a padded chair.
Contraindications:
- knee injuries
- pregnancy
Need more support? Contact me. Adjusting the asanas and practices to your needs and constitution is one of the many benefits of working together in one-on-one sessions.
