Delicious Rest in Child’s Pose by Chris Loebsack

Setting Up for Child's Pose aka Balasana:
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Foundation-Begin in table top. You may choose to have the knees together or have the knees wide with the big toes touching.

Action- Send the hips back to the heels and place the belly over (or between) the thighs. Arms rest along the sides. Forehead rests on the earth

Boundary- This pose has many potential points of tightness that may need to be supported with a prop such as a blanket block or bolster. Be careful in this posture if the knees are not generally happy in deep knee flexion.

While You are There: Breathe, listen, feel yourself settle into the pose
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Modify- Tight shins/ankles/tops of feet: Place a rolled blanket under the ankles; Tight quads or tissue approximation in the posterior leg/thigh connection may require a blanket under the hips; Head can’t reach the floor place a block under the forehead.

Deepen-The legs together encourages more rounding of the back and compression of the front body which sends the breath capacity deeper into the back ribs and superficial spinal muscles. The knees wider sends the belly and ribs between the thighs which shifts the stretch deeper into the hips. Walking the arms out in front of you will give a different stretch on the shoulders.
Transition out of the Pose: Either use your hands to support your rise to seated or shift forward into tabletop and take a few slow cat/cow motions to release.

Why (benefits)

• Posture of turning inward for introspection
• Stretches the spine, hips, shins, ankles and tops of feet
• Knees together variation compresses and stimulates the internal organs

When to Avoid (contraindications)

• If knee issues cannot be supported with the props named under modifications the pose should be avoided.

Yang Variation: The yang variation is exactly the same and is typically used as a resting posture between more vigorous asanas.

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About Chris Loebsack
​Chris Loebsack, 500 E.R.Y.T,  fell in love with yoga in 1995 and began teaching in 2003. Chris uses the power of yoga to create a space for students that cultivates trust, playfulness and Divine connection with themselves and with community. Living by her mantra, Clarity, Integrity and Love, she draws upon her partner yoga practice to share the healing power of touch and safe intimacy. A passion for discovering subtlety in movement has lead Chris to deepen her education with the Anatomy Studies for Yoga Teachers® kinesiology program. Her playful yet focused classes are filled with user friendly gems of applied anatomy leaving students with a greater understanding of how to find comfort and space in their bodies and smiles beaming across their faces. She encourages teachers to set a higher standard of excellence through knowledge and has become a valuable mentor to many upcoming yoga educators. 

Chris teaches privates, classes and workshops across the globe. She is currently the director of the Boundless Yoga 200 hr and 500 hr Teacher Training programs and an Adjunct Teacher Trainer for the Om Factory® School of Yoga NYC 200hr, BambooMoves, Bhakti Barn Yoga, Just Plain Yoga, and NearMe Yoga 200hr Teacher Training Programs. She has also been featured in Fitness Magazine®, Yoga Journal: Yoga Mentor, Good an Well, Local Flair Magazine and the New York Times. In addition to yoga you are likely to find her laughing with friends and family or quietly meditating with her cats (Sukha, Fuzz-butt, and Squirrel) or traveling and teaching with her husband Brian M. Davis as Boundless Motion.

Restorative, Yin Classes and More at BYS:

Mt. Pocono: (1444 Pocono Blvd, Suite 106, Mt. Pocono, PA)
Sundays 6 pm Flow and Restore w/ Tracy Gross
Tuesdays 6 pm Yin Yoga- Slow Stretch w/ Chris Loebsack

Stroudsburg: (823-F Ann Street, Stroudsburg, PA)
Wednesdays 8:15 am  Yin Yoga- Slow Stretch w/ Tracy Gross
Thursdays 7:15 pm Body, Mind, Meditation- Restorative Yoga w/ Karen Iracane
Fridays 8:15 am  Yin Yoga- Slow Stretch w/ Tracy Gross
Sept 14-16th, 2018 Restorative Yoga Advanced Studies Weekend Training w/ Tracy Gross and Jessica Batha