Balsana, Abdominal Yoga Position, or Child’s Standing Pose is an ancient sitting asana meant for relief. The word Balsana means “surrounding the body.” Balsana means surrounding. The goal of Balsana is to loosen tight muscles and create space between them. It is often practiced after Sirsasana (arms straight with palms down, fingers crossed) and before Sun Salutation (warmed up). It is also used to prepare the body for the poses that follow Surya Namaskar.
There are several types of yoga exercises that practitioners can use to practice Balsana. They include: Diamond Body Ball Pose, Diamond Lotus Pose, Squat Forward Bend, Elbow Spread, Elbow Front Stretch, Poses for Balance, Backward Fold, and a few more. You can practice Balsana all by itself, or you can incorporate it into other yoga sequences or power yoga poses. To get the most out of your sessions, try combining it with other yoga poses or sequences that work the oblique muscles at the same time. For example, does a modified Diamond Body Ball Pose with a modified Squat Forward Bend.
One great way to improve circulation is to practice Balsana and have someone gently massage your legs. Arch your back using your abdominal muscles and breathe deeply. This will tighten your spinal disks and provide greater blood flow to the discs in your neck and upper back. With more oxygen and better circulation, the muscles in your shoulders and arms will become more toned, which will make your core muscles stronger.
Another way to warm up for a good Balsana is to perform gentle stretches. Start in a standing position with both hands on the floor in front of you, palms flat on the floor, and your feet together. Slowly bend your right arm and touch your right heel with the outside of your left foot. Then, extend your left arm straight out in front of you, and touch your thumb and first finger with your right hand. These simple stretches will loosen up tight muscles that may be held in your spinal column during other yoga poses.
You can do other Balsana yoga benefits if you choose. There are a couple of different yoga poses you can use this pose in. If you are new to this pose, start off with only one limb, or bend the knee if your leg is bent all the way down. In standing positions, keep your back straight, and exhale as you inhale. In seated positions, keep your back straight, and relax your shoulder. The best way to stretch these poses is to focus on each individual stretch, repeating it in your mind, until you feel your muscles getting stronger and tighter.
Another way you can do Balasana yoga benefits is to stretch your arms above your head. To do this, simply raise both arms straight over your head, keeping your shoulders in place with your elbows resting on the floor. You will want to alternate your arms, going from one arm over top of the other, and repeat for the full stretch. After stretching your arms, don’t forget to tighten your forearms and your shoulders. Hold your arms at your sides, then raise them over your head, pushing your shoulder blades down toward your knees. Inhale deeply, and repeat.
You can also make balasana benefits more concrete by doing other stretches. Begin by lying on your side, with your hands clasped under the legs. Slowly, and deliberately lift one leg up into the air, balancing yourself on each step. Bring each foot to rest on the floor a few inches, then extend your legs a bit further, and repeat. Once you have stretched your entire body a number of times in this way, hold your breath, then repeat the exercise in small movements all the way down to the bottom of your knees.
To finish, you can rest your feet on the floor, arch your back, and lean against it. You can use a pillow or a big towel to support your head and your back as you lie there and use deep breathing techniques to relax your shoulders and your mind. You can then switch to the traditional yoga poses and make sure that you are touching your big toes before you go to bed. You can choose to do this every night, or to change it up every few nights, just as you like. As you become accustomed to Balasana yoga, you can change your positions to keep from feeling stiff and sore when you get up in the morning.
Types Of Yoga Poses
- Lotus position Yoga –
- Adho mukha svanasana Yoga
- Handstand Yoga
- Shavasana Yoga
- Balasana Yoga
- Bhujangasana Yoga
- Kapotasana Yoga
- Tadasana Yoga
- Bakasana Yoga
- Vajrasana Yoga
- Vrikshasana Yoga
- Trikonasana Yoga
- Dhanurasana Yoga
- Shirshasana Yoga
- Chaturanga Dandasana Yoga
- Ustrasana Yoga
- Uttanasana Yoga
- Sarvangasana Yoga
- Navasana Yoga
- Bhekasana (Mandukasana) Yoga
- Mālāsana Yoga
- Halasana Yoga
- Paschimottanasana Yoga
- Sukhasana Yoga
- Chakrasana Yoga
- Gomukhasanab Yoga
- Baddha Konasana Yoga
- Virasana Yoga
- Utkatasana Yoga
- Garudasana Yoga
- Ardha Chandrasana Yoga
- Marjariasana Yoga
- Matsyasana Yoga
- Mayurasana Yoga
- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana ( Bridge Pose) Yoga
- Salabhasana Yoga
- Viparita Karani Yoga
- Virabhadrasana I Yoga
- Utthita Parsvakonasana Yoga
- Matsyendrasana Yoga
- Janusirsasana Yoga
- Dandasana Yoga
- Siddhasana Yoga
- Hanumanasana Yoga
- Makarasana Yoga
- Natarajasana Yoga
- Pincha Mayurasana Yoga
- Supta Baddha Konasana Yoga
- Simhasana Yoga
- Upavistha Konasana Yoga
