Happy Baby

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Happy Baby Pose Ananda Balasana

Intermediate

Ally Hamilton

Learn happy baby (ananda balasana), a delicious spine lengthener and hip opener! Modifications are offered for those who carry tension in the low back and/or hamstrings.

Class details

Benefits

Lengthens the spine
Opens the hips

Key Alignment Points

Lie on your back and hug your knees to your chest, then keeping your knees bent, open them wider than your torso, and extend your feet toward the sky so that your knees and ankles are in line.
If possible, have your arms to the insides of your legs, and your hands to the outside of your feet.
If that’s too intense for the hips, low back, inner thighs or groin, hold the outer ankles or shins instead.
Draw the navel down, lengthen your tailbone toward the floor, lengthen the back of your neck, and relax your shoulders.

Contraindications

Any pose on the back may be contraindicated during pregnancy if the mama feels shortness of breath or dizziness. Some women are fine throughout pregnancy with poses on the back, and others are not. If it doesn’t feel okay for you, come out. Otherwise, enjoy the spine lengthening and hip opening.
People with knee issues may feel discomfort here, if holding the shins does not alleviate it, come out of the pose.
People with neck injuries can place a blanket under the head and neck.

Ready to work it?

Here are some classes featuring Happy Baby Pose.

41 minutes

Rest Day

By Brent Laffoon on Oct 31, 2024

Gentle Yoga Beginner

A soothing, slow-paced practice to help you stay light and limber, with a bit of pranayama at the end to keep your mind calm and clear. Enjoy!
39 minutes

A Little Self-Love

By Brent Laffoon on Apr 29, 2024

Gentle Yoga Intermediate

A slow, gentle restorative practice to help you loosen up your hips and lower back and calm your mind and nervous system. Please note, if you have any knee issues, threading the needle on your back instead of some of the half-lotus and reclining gomukhasana options may be better for you. Golden rule, it shouldn't hurt... enjoy, yogis :)
28 minutes

Calling in Rest

By Dhaujee Rose on Mar 28, 2024

Gentle Yoga Beginner

This short and calming flow is perfect for calling the energy of rest back to your body and breath. We start with gentle stretches, take modifications in some familiar poses, and finally wring it out before a supported savasana. Enjoy!
12 minutes

Drawing Your Feelings

By Jessica Jablonski on Dec 30, 2023

Gentle Yoga Beginner

(If the kids are off of school right now, we have you covered! And you might want to join in :)) All Ages! Are you having BIG feelings? Me, too! Sometimes we have big feelings of joy, excitement, happiness or anticipation, and other times we have big feelings of sadness, anger, fear, or frustration. Whatever your big feelings might be, the important thing is to work with the way we feel! Pretending not to be scared won't make our fear go away. In this class, we're going to draw our big feelings and then work with them in our bodies! We'll give them a way to come to the surface so we realize ALL feelings are okay, we just have to figure out why we feel the way we do, and what to do with the feelings we have. Ready? Grab some paper and crayons and let's play!
46 minutes

Strength and Flexibility

By Lauren Peterson on Jun 6, 2023

Vinyasa Flow Intermediate

Though this class leads up to a challenging arm balance, the bulk of the practice is a balance of accessible poses to stretch and strengthen the body. We start on our backs with gentle core work and hamstring stretches. Once on our feet we do a series of sun salutations and standing poses. Then sitting, we get into the hips and hamstrings leading up to ashtavakrasana or eight-angle pose. We finish with a rest and closing. Enjoy!
32 minutes

Love for the Low Back

By Derek Beres on Jun 16, 2021

Gentle Yoga Intermediate

A gentle ground-based stretch class to loosen up the lower back. A bit of core strength and a little back bending to round out this predominantly chill session.
44 minutes

Know Your Koshas

By Brent Laffoon on Jun 9, 2021

Gentle Yoga Intermediate

A gentle practice designed to help you connect with the five layers of your being, also known as your koshas. Not sure what those are? This practice is a great way to learn... enjoy!
29 minutes

Morning Gratitude Practice

By Dhaujee Rose on Apr 27, 2021

Gentle Yoga Beginner

A practice you can do in bed?! Yes, please! This morning gratitude practice is a mix of meditation, breath work and gentle stretches that will invigorate the body before you start your day. Intentionally awaken your internal organs and pranic body all from the comfort of your bed. Show some gratitude to yourself, your body and your life-force with this moving meditation.
38 minutes

Unwind your Spine

By Leslie Kazadi on Apr 12, 2021

Gentle Yoga Beginner

Got a stiff back from a long hike or a Netflix binge? Get some relief with undulating spinal movements in all directions of travel. From heel to head, we take it outside the linear box and keep it moving with lots of variations on the theme of releasing backline tension. We'll sneak in some core support because nothing says back relief like abs in the game. We finish up with my favorite "clock" movements before settling into a timeless stillness where residual tension unwinds.
20 minutes

No Props, No Problem!

By Leslie Kazadi on Jun 13, 2020

General Beginner

What if your mat were your only prop? Or you didn't have a mat but you had a blanket? Adapting to what is means being curious and playful and coming up with new ways of being and doing. Not so easy if you are feeling stressed! But doing anything in a novel way can give us a sense of curiosity and empowerment. It takes us from focusing on what we don't have to exploring what is possible with what we do have. It turns out that using a mat as a prop gives you new options for familiar poses... and invites you to make it up as you go along... because, really, that's what we are always doing anyway :)