The Child's Pose/Seal of Yoga - Yoga MudraChild's Pose is one of the yoga practices that allows you to experience complete relaxation, putting you in a position where you can optimally unwind and detach yourself from the pressures of everyday life. Child's Pose, also called Garbhasana, returns you to a position in which you were completely relaxed and unaware of exertion and tension. Garbhasana has a positive effect on building confidence and is beneficial for relaxing the back.
Instructions for the child's position
Garbhasana, Child's Pose, includes various positions that you can assume from the basic posture. The basic posture of this asana involves sitting on your heels with the backs of your hands resting next to your heels. Your elbows hang loosely and your forehead touches the floor. Your neck is long and your shoulders relaxed. Your back relaxes as you breathe deeply and then place your hands under your forehead if full Child's Pose is not possible due to health restrictions or a lack of flexibility. You can clench your fists or place them flat on top of each other, depending on how Child's Pose is most comfortable for you and how it relaxes you the most. Your back is rounded when your forehead touches the floor or rests on the tops of your hands or your fists.
How does Garbahasana work?
Child's Pose has a positive effect on your body and mind. The physical effect begins in the cervical vertebrae and extends through the thoracic and lumbar regions to the sacral vertebrae. All back muscles are stretched, and tension is released, allowing you to become much more relaxed and remove internal blockages from your body. Child's Pose is also ideal for the neck and throat area and, what's more, ensures that blood circulation is activated and accelerated. In Garbahasana, the abdominal organs receive a good massage, which can reduce menstrual cramps. Because the long back muscles and lumbar muscles, as well as the lower strand of the trapezius, are engaged and stretched, relaxation is widespread and immediate during the exercise in Child's Pose.
Chakras activated with the child's pose
The solar plexus is activated in Child's Pose, and energies in the body are harmonized. The chakras addressed are Manipura, Ajna, Sahasrara, and Swadisthana. Because Child's Pose mimics the position of an embryo in the womb, Garbhasana represents primal trust, humility, and the ability to let go. The positive influence on the chakras and your muscles leads you to complete relaxation, allowing you to find maximum peace in Child's Pose and give your mind the freedom to concentrate fully on your breathing and not perceive anything around you. The positive effect on blood circulation recharges your body, making you more active, fitter, and more resilient. Child's Pose is one of the most effective yoga exercises that you can practice for the sake of your well-being and integrate into your yoga routine.
Flexibility in Garbahasana
A major advantage of Child's Pose is its flexibility, which means you're not forced to overexert your body and necessarily rest your forehead on the floor. If you have back pain that prevents you from reaching the floor completely, you can also rest your forehead on your palms or fists and perform the exercise with equal effectiveness. The activation of your chakras and the beneficial effects on your muscles, as well as the release of tension, are not compromised by an alternative to Child's Pose. Only if you have retinal or eye problems or high blood pressure should you consult a doctor before practicing yoga and mention Child's Pose.
Image © stay2gether / 123rf.com
