October Yoga Pose of the Month- Child's Pose

How to get into the pose:

Begin on your hands and knees.

Bring your big toe mounds to touch and spread your knees wide apart. Lower your buttocks to your heels.  If your hips are tight, keep your knees and thighs together.

Sit up straight and draw the crown of your head up towards the sky, lengthening through the spine.

As you exhale, bow forward, letting your belly rest on your thighs or the floor, depending on your flexibility.

Bring your forehead to rest on the floor or on to a block.

With your palms facing down, extend your arms out in front of you. and continue to lengthen  all the way from your hips to your fingertips.

For a deep relaxation, keep the thighs together and release your arms alongside your thighs with your palms facing up and head resting on the mat or a block.

Keep your eyes closed, and use your third eye to looks inwards as you become attuned to your internal landscape.

Hold child's pose for at least a minute or longer.

To release the pose, walk your hands back up towards the thighs as straighten up through the torso and crown of the head. Release your buttocks to rest on top of your heels.

Child's Pose is a resting position, so it is important to make whatever adjustments you need to, to feel comfortable, safe, and supported in the pose. Here are a few suggestions:

• If you have difficulty resting your buttocks on your heels, you can place a thick blanket between the backs of your thighs and your calves
• Fold your mat for extra padding under the tops of your feet
• Only spread your knees as wide as is comfortable for you, this is a resting pose and you should not strain to deepen the pose
• Use Child's Pose throughout your practice whenever you need to rest between poses or if you need to reconnect with your breath

Benefits of Child’s Pose

- Stretches the hips, thighs and ankles

- Calms the mind and reduces stress and fatigue

- Restores balance and focus within the body

- May improve digestion

- Increases circulation

- Eases lower back pain