Happy Baby Pose

Happy baby is a very playful yet grounding pose. I love to sequence it right before Savasana to give you or your students a bit of movement to get out any final jitters before settling into full rest.

Table of Contents

Get into Happy Baby Pose Step-by-Step

Begin laying on the backside of your body.
Hug your knees into your chest, hands on your shins.
Draw your legs wide so that your thighs rest on either side of your stomach.
Flex your feet and shine the soles of your feet to the sky.
Grab hold of the outside edges of your feet with your hands. Let the weight of your arms assist your legs in moving closer to the mat.
Relax the back of your shoulders to the mat.

Benefits

Physical: Decompresses the sacroiliac joint (which connects the pelvis and lower back). Compression of the stomach and internal organs may aid in digestion.
Energetic: The lengthening of the spine stimulates the Urinary Bladder and Kidney meridians. Stretch of the inner thighs and groin stimulates the Liver meridian.
Emotional & Mental: A great pose to do before bed and when you are anxious as it is very grounding. The sacral chakra is most prominent here.

Contraindications

This pose is an inversion, if you have high blood pressure you may want to avoid this pose.
If pregnant, do not practice happy baby after your first trimester.
To lessen the intensity or for knee injuries, hold onto the back of your thighs or front of your shins.

Variations

Half Happy Baby: Practice one side at a time. Keep the foot not lifted planted on the ground. You may roll the leg and foot in the opposite direction of the lifted leg to help balance and stay flat on your back.
Supported Happy Baby: Place blocks under your triceps and hold onto your shins without lifting your feet.

Get Out of the Pose

Release your heels back towards your bum.
Draw your knees together.
Set your feet down on the mat.

Counter Poses

Hug your knees to your chest. It may feel good to draw circles with your knees to massage the lower back.
Bridge pose.

How Long to Hold Happy Baby?

1-3 minutes.

Practice Happy Baby Pose in a Class

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