Balasana – aka Child’s Pose

Balasana or Child’s pose is one of the most frequent poses to rest.  The pose represents the child within the womb and you will often be asked to move into this after a challenging asana to rest or when the teacher wants you to centre your mind for reflection.

I think the pose is used so often I wonder if people forget the reason for the name.  A child in its early years is open to all possibilities that exist, the mind of the child is not fully wrapped by the rules of society, science, day to day living, a job.  The mind at this stage of life is often described as a sponge where all information is easily absorbed and an incredible sense of wonder at the world exists.

Childs pose as we grow older can be used not just for rest but also aBalasanas a physical cue to open our mind to our environment and clear our brain of the problems of the day. Perhaps it can also enable you to open the mind to achieving things you are holding yourselves back from because of a fear of failure or even see possibilities that you had never considered before.

The next time you go into child’s pose remember not only to rest but try to return your mind to the time when your thoughts were care free, you may surprise yourself at what you find.

Jason Wells, Jan 2017, 200hr Yoga TTC