One of the most popular and relaxing yoga poses is the child’s pose, which is when you sit back on your heels from kneeling. It has a lot of benefits.
These include stretching and lengthening the spine, hips, and thighs easing tension in the neck and shoulders improving blood flow, getting the digestive system going, and calming the nervous system.But what if the pose hurts your knees, ankles, or hips You don’t have to give up the posture completely.
You might enjoy a chair yoga class with a group.
Three chair yoga poses to try if you can’t do yoga on the floor A woman and a baby are doing the happy baby yoga pose on a mat.I’m a certified trainer but I still have trouble with stiff hips. This is the one move that helped them feel better.
This is the morning yoga pose I do to build strength stability, and energy. Your yoga class probably doesn’t do it.
If you can’t sit back on your heels, your knees hurt or your feet won’t lie flat on the floor, modifications can help I’ve had to use these myself to get better after an injury.
I often share the changes with my own clients as a yoga therapist. A lot of them are quick fixes that don’t require a lot of work to change the original posture.
Here are some ways to change your child’s pose to help with common problems.
If you can’t bend forward
If you can’t fold your upper body over your thighs and your forehead isn’t touching the floor your back muscles might be tight or your hips might not be able to bend as much as they should.
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To fix this, spread your knees apart so your torso has more room to fold down You can also put a bolster under your body to give it more support.
If your forehead is still off the floor, put it on something higher up, like a cushion a yoga block, or your hands to make a pillow.
I used this change while I was recovering from a bulging disc, and I still use it now that I’m better because it’s so relaxing.
If your knees hurt
If your knees hurt when they touch the floor, it could be because of the surface you’re practicing on. You might also have trouble bending your knees all the way.
To fix this, put a folded blanket under your knees for support or practise on a bed which is softer on your joints.
To relieve pressure, put a rolled up towel in the crease behind your knees.
If your feet and ankles hurt
You need to be able to point your toes (plantarflexion) in order to comfortably sink into child’s pose. If your shins or the tops of your feet hurt it could mean that you can’t move them very much.
The fix: If you regularly practise pointing your toes up (dorsiflexion) and down (plantarflexion), it can help your ankles move more freely and feel less pain over time.
Put a rolled up blanket under your ankles for support or tuck your toes under.
If you can’t reach your arms out in front of you
If you can’t fully extend your arms forward, it could be because your shoulders and chest are tight.
The solution is to keep your elbows bent or rest your arms by your sides with your palms up.
